Philophobia: The Fear Of Love
by BrutieBoots
Summary: When a powerful Godai monster who controls the five elements is revealed to be the 17-year-old transfer student to the SM Academy, Mei Xiantha, she will not only be thrust into a new school, but a new world of romance and betrayal. Set two years after LM
1. Chapter 01

**CHAPTER 01**

The glistening golden sun crept above the horizon, its heated rays pouring over the silent citadel below as it was consumed by the stillness of dawn, not even the caw of poultry piercing the silence. Suddenly, a shriek pierced through the tranquil scene as metal slammed against metal, vibrating across a petite mahogany bedside table. A groan erupted from beneath the duvet, a lump manoeuvring about the covers blindly in search of the wailing alarm clock that interrupted its slumber. A pallid hand shot out, its colouring practically matching that of the ivory white sheets as it curled into a tight fist before pounding down on the clock.

Silence settled once more as the chaos vanished the moment the device became dormant. The lump shifted left and right, rising into the air to perch itself upon its hands and knees. A groan echoed through the room once more before the charcoal duvet crashed to the ground, revealing the crouched figure of a young girl. Her head was toppled in pin-straight charcoal black tangles that poured over her shoulders, brushing along her petite waist. A section of notably shorter strands had been pinned out of her large, ashen eyes, the irises decorated with ebony flecks and slivers of shimmering silver. She dragged her short figure to its miniscule feet, exposing her alluring, deep curves that looked almost disproportional with her miniature stature. Her body was hugged by a loose-fitting murky grey shirt that sliced along her mid-thighs which were slid into a pair of dark shorts.

"Mei, are you up?" An elderly voice rang through the two-story home, the girl's ears perking up in response.

"Yes Nana." Mei hollered back in a cracked voice before stumbling towards a pale beige door upon the furthest right wall of her rectangular room, "I am going to take a shower."

She peeled the door from its wooden frame, slipping into the bathroom in a slight daze as a blast of cooled air rushed over her. Her glazed over eyes darted about the room, ensuring all her materials were in place. She sighed in relief before gently closing the door behind her. She slipped from her clothes, punching her shirt and trousers into a ball before placing them within a wicker basket beside the beige sink. The pin from her hair dropped onto the edge of the sink before she crept into the square shower, tugging the metal lined plastic door shut as she went. Her porcelain ivory flesh shivered as chilled water droplets bombarded her figure from the shimmering shower head above. She hugged her figure as she begged for the shower to increase in temperature, her drenched dark tangles clinging to her shuddering, bare features.

Mei emerged from the dormant shower, her flesh now reddened as the windows were consumed by steam from the intense heat. With a small, relaxed smile pulling at her shapely lips, she ran a hand through her matted down tumbles, combing them out of her features with her dainty fingers. She wrapped her figure in a violet towel before thrusting the bathroom door open, the stiff heated atmosphere exploding into her cooled bedroom, encapsulating her as she went. She snatched the remainder of her clothes from the draws of her cabinet, unwrapping the towel from her–now pallid–figure.

Mei glanced at herself in the elongated, charcoal rimmed mirror her mother had handed down to her, the frame decorated in silver vines with blossoming roses. Her slender legs were encased in tight-fitting black jeans, whilst a jet black tank top decorated in a splattering of lemon-coloured paint clung to her torso beneath a black and ashen pin-striped waistcoat. She tucked her feet into a pair of striped socks before threading a bright yellow belt sprinkled in silver studs about her hips. She grabbed her ink black fingerless gloves with skulls engraved into the knuckles before tugging them onto her hands with a grin. She grabbed her ebony comb, running down her thin strands, side parting them easily before brushing out her fringe. Her bangs slanted across her forehead, tickling over her left eye slightly before vanishing into her toppling tumbles, yet through the raven bangs swept a single ivory streak that was bizarrely natural. She glanced at herself curiously before ruffling her hands through her well-layered her gently.

"Do not forget to have something to eat before you leave." Her grandmother's voice snapped her from her inspection of herself.

"Will do." She called back in a low tone before sweeping from the room.

The house was plastered in vibrantly coloured wallpaper and extravagantly unique furniture that her grandmother collected addictively. Mei strolled into the kitchen, crouching down to rummage through the cupboards. She retrieved a fruit nut bar, peeling back the tinfoil encasing the elongated cube before nibbling along the edge of it.

"I hope you realise that the Saint Monster Academy _will _require you to wear a uniform, Mei." Her grandmother teased as she entered the kitchen, her tall willowy figure encased in vibrant dark lavender and jade robes.

Mei grinned at her eccentric grandmother whose features were still beautiful despite the crinkles dotted over her ivory complexion. Her eyes were a piercing crystal blue framed by long, glossy ebony lashes sat on either side of a dainty nose. Her silver tangles were pulled up into a messy bun held in place with a single ebony pencil, several curls falling free to outline her features. Her grandmother was a writer, well-known in _both _the monster and human world, although the humans knew her as Fiona Heart, the pseudonym she wrote under for them. Her kind knew her as Kimie A. Xiantha.

"I would like to enjoy my freedom whilst I still can, Nana." Mei snarled with a scowl directed towards her new school rather than the elderly woman before her.

"You will enjoy it there." Kimie soothed, tugging Mei into an embrace before kissing her upon the top of her head, "But you had better hurry up and get going. They will pick up your trunks, all you need to carry if your bag."

"_Fine_." She whined before breaking away from her grandmother. She sauntered towards the front door, her dark hair shimmering about her voluptuous figure as she went.

Mei slipped her fabric encased feet into her black, worn-out converse, tying the laces tightly before snatching her dark shoulder bag from the ground. The raven-coloured bag was decorated in various badges and safety pins that she had pierced through it. She ran her thumb under the strap of her raven bag, straightening it out before bidding her grandmother farewell.

"Enjoy yourself!" Kimie exclaimed.

"I will try." Mei called over her shoulder before sweeping into the street, the vibrant colours of dawn startling her. She rubbed her palms against her eyes with a scowl before glancing back at her grandmother's home, "I _already _hate this."

Mei strolled alongside the pavement that was rimmed with bushes of blossoming, vibrantly coloured flowers. She halted in her tracks, glancing at the vast, gargantuan forest before her with a deadpan expression.

"A barrier _and _a forest, wow I am impressed." She muttered to herself sarcastically before stepping into the barrier encasing what was presumably her boarding school.

Her head spun, her vision blurring into vertigo as her stomach flipped over itself. She stumbled onto a clearing dizzily before regaining her balance.

She had not done _that _in a while.

Her glistening ashen eyes darted up to glance at the pale-coloured extensive building with a dark roof before her, which was decorated with balconies and towers, the grounds rimmed by extravagant, charcoal iron gates. A path ran from the entrance of the gates through the emerald grass, leading towards a pair towering dark doors lined with steel. Above that sat a balcony rimmed with raven fencing, held in place by four pillars that sat before the entry to the building.

"All this impressive architecture, I may just faint." She spat, rolling her eyes before crossing her arms over her chest.

"You should not talk to yourself." A dark, masculine voice boomed from behind as his cloaked partner chuckled darkly.

Two pairs of heavy hands grasped her shoulders attempting to pull her forward. She resisted as if the rubber soles of her shoes were nailed to the ground.

"Let me go." She snapped.

"We cannot do that," A melodic, charming voice chimed from the one who had chuckled.

"Every new student has to meet our _special _someone and his-" The man's voice caught in his throat, smothered in a moan of agony as Mei's elbow slammed into his crotch.

She tore her arm from him as he keeled over before her second arm consumed with flames under her command, the second male jerked back with a gasp, tearing his flesh from hers. Her pale lips tugged into a smirk as she spun on her heel to face her captors, arching at eyebrow at them in amusement. Mei stormed towards the male that clutched his crotch, pinning him down with her foot, pressing the sole of her shoe to his weak oesophagus.

"Now _leave me alone_." Mei hissed.

The second male's hood flung back as he gawked at his burnt hands, his impeccably handsome features pinching together in agony. Tousled blonde tangles fell about his beautiful face, tickling along his neck as his crystal orbs winced together at the despicable heat radiating through his porcelain flesh.

"A Northern European Snowman," Mei mused, noticing his overdramatic reaction to heat, "How interesting."

"I would appreciate it if you got off of _my _friends," She glanced over her shoulder before rolling her eyes in irritation at the towering crow demon that stood behind her, his arm draped around the shoulders of a bizarrely petite girl, "Yuki, Jiro I trust the pair of you are okay."

The males nodded weakly as the blonde female beside the crow grinned widely. Her tumbles were pulled into a pair of pigtails, her large pale sapphire eyes twinkling with excitement towards Mei.

"Kurou, be polite," She whispered before turning her attention back to Mei who had now turned to face the couple, "Welcome to our school, I am Hiyo Osora."


	2. Chapter 02

**CHAPTER 02**

Mei's ashen eyes skimmed towards the bubbling blonde before her, arching an eyebrow at her monotonously.

"How wonderful to meet you, Hiyo Osora," She stated dryly, glancing down at her nails in disinterest, "I am Mei Xiantha. Who might your moronic friends be?" Mei gestured to the pair of males behind her.

"Well, as you know, this is Kurou Tenma." Hiyo beamed, her golden tumbles bouncing about her petite, delicate figure erratically, "_My _husband. That is Yuki Snow-White," She pointed towards the beautifully perfect blonde before averting her gaze to the second male, "And he is Ginjirou-"

"Please call me Jiro." He stated bluntly, tugging back his hood with a wide, toothy grin.

His sapphire-coloured hair fell about his neck messily with the back spiked out and shorted strands tickling over his almond-shaped golden eyes, flaming his handsome face. A pair of wolf ears poked through his azure blue mop, matching in colour with several golden hoops pierced through the cartilage. His tall, athletic body loomed over Mei, matching Yuki in height precisely.

"I guess you must be pretty excited to have _just _met _the _Hiyo Osora," Jiro chuckled as Hiyo's rose lips spread into a childish grin, her sparkling eyes squinting together.

"Pardon?" Mei muttered, glancing up at the wolf monster as her porcelain features pinched together in confusion, "Why on earth would I be excited?"

He snorted in disbelief before adding "Hiyo as in _the _legendary white crow."

"I was not aware there was one." She retorted shrugging her shoulders limply as his comrades gawked in shock. Hiyo's eyes even widened as her smile dropped, as if she had _expected _Mei to recognise her.

"Do you really not recognise her?" Yuki enquired.

"Yeah because _this _is the face," Mei gestured towards her deadpan expression, "Of someone who has recognised an apparently _legendary _character."

Kurou scowled at her condescending tone, tugging Hiyo's figure into his as his violet eyes highlighted with dark, midnight blue narrowed into slits.

"You are simply _ignorant_." He snapped as his partner snuggled into his body, his fingers threading themselves through her golden locks.

"I am afraid I do not care for the approval of a _weaker _monster." Mei sneered, folding her arms over her chest as his handsome features contorted with offence.

"Perhaps we should take you to the welcoming ceremony." Yuki piped, stepping in between the pair before an argument–or perhaps even physical attack– could ensue.

"Oh yes let's." She spat sarcastically as he grasped her upper arm, Jiro following suit and reluctantly taking her other, "And you had better watch your hands."

The pair guided her towards a courtyard, Kurou following them with Hiyo carried in his arms as if she would shatter without his support. The square was suffocated with students–predominantly males, the air buzzing with curious whispers as Mei appeared, all eyes darting towards her foreign figure. As she was steered towards the far end of the courtyard, she could make out only snippets of the conversations that fluttered about. Several concerned her grandmother and her famous literature, wondering if Mei was related to her, whilst others spoke of the renowned Xiantha clan.

The word _Godai _brushed over Mei, her ears perking up inquisitively as her eyes darted about the crowd. Her gaze focused on a female figure that protruded through the blurred crowd, her hourglass figure encased in a dark violent dress that sliced along her laced encrusted thighs. Her lavender eyes twinkled in interest as she returned Mei's gaze, her eyebrows knitting together in concentration. As quickly as the girl had appeared, she vanished into the swarm of bustling students that greeted Mei animatedly with adamant claims that she would _love _the Saint Monster Academy.

* * *

Hiyo led Mei towards a pair of towering mahogany doors, thrusting them open to reveal a flawlessly designed room. The walls were ink black, the carpet a dark scarlet that highlighted the blood-red drapes. A four poster, Victorian bed sat against the far wall framed with charcoal-coloured wood, adorned with sheets of extravagant tones of crimson forming intrinsic designs. The next wall was hugged by a Victorian, dark wood armoire and matching dressing table on which a shimmering mirror sat, a velvet cushioned stool tucked under the table. The room also contained an ebony desk with a lush chair along with additional dark, Victorian furniture that her grandmother had provided. Her bolted trunks sat to her left, untouched just as she had left them earlier that morning.

"I think the girl in your neighbouring dorm shall come round in a bit," Hiyo piped from behind Mei with a grin whilst Mei's eyebrows simply pulled together in irritation, "If you need anything just ask me, I am the queen for a reason."

Hiyo bid Mei farewell as she simply saluted mockingly in response. She began to busy herself about the room, tugging her clothing from the trunks as well as several posters to plaster across the dark walls. She dug about the second trunk, grinning in relief as she felt her fingertips skim over her collection of books, her glittering eyes glancing towards the bookcase in the far corner.

Filling _that _would not be an easy job but at least she would have a home for her books. A rhythmic knock echoed about the room, erupting from the from the towering twin doors. The individual hesitated for a moment as if waiting for protest from Mei before pushing one of the doors from its wooden frame.

The dark amethyst eyed girl that Mei had spotted amongst the cluster of students stood before her, raising an eyebrow at her curiously. Her features were framed by dark violet tumbles that fell about her elbows in natural spirals, a pair of tall, raven rabbit ears adorned with multiple piercings through their cartilage poking out of her hair sturdily. Her dainty nose wiggled absentmindedly as she glanced about the room intriguingly before her shapely lips tugged into a smile of approval, a stud pierced above the left side of her upper lip, forming what many called a 'Monroe Mole'. She extended a hand towards Mei which was encased in an elegant, laced fingerless glove.

"I am Michiko Shimizu." She stated with a confident aura that brought a smile of approval to Mei's own lips.

"Mei Xiantha." She replied before shaking Michiko's hand curtly, their figures matching in diminished height.

"I have been allocated the duty of your 'buddy'," Michiko added with a roll of her gem-like eyes, "I have your class schedule and uniforms."

"_Uniforms_, plural?"

"Your everyday uniform, summer uniform, and sports uniform, which trust me, you will definitely hate." She stated, handing a bag to Mei as well as a slip of paper on which her schedule was printed.

"Your schedule pretty much matches mine." Michiko added as Mei nodded before chucking the paper onto the top of her trunk.

"Well at least I do not have to guide myself around this place." She replied, twisting her fingers about the plastic bag that contained her uniforms.

"Are you going to try on your day uniform? I am looking forward to your expression when you see it." Michiko smirked widely, folding her arms over her ample bosom in anticipation.

"I might as well see it myself." Mei stated, striding towards a gothic screen that sat in the corner next to her armoire, "Hold on for just one moment."

Mei emerged from the screen moments later, her pallid features contorting with ferocity and disgust as she glared down at herself. An ivory, collared buttoned up blouse clung to her torso, the cuffs cutting along her wrists with a ribbon threaded beneath the collar forming a loose bow at her neck. On top of that sat a cardinal coloured dress that cut along her under bust, framing her chest as it ran up to form puffed out shoulders and slender sleeves whose ends were tucked into the cuffs of her blouse. Her hands curled around the end of the somewhere between fuchsia and scarlet coloured dress, the hem barely reaching her mid-thigh, clearly exposing her pale, slender legs whilst the torso framed her well-developed chest.

"I think I might just throw up on myself, lord knows it would be an improvement. I mean this is barely even a dress; I might as well waddle around in a shirt and underwear." Mei scowled with a frown.

"Oh just wait until you see the sports uniform." Michiko prodded as Mei simply groaned in aggravation.

"I bet the boys do not have to dress _this _revealing... I mean... This is _seriously _what we have to wear?"


	3. Chapter 03

**CHAPTER 03**

"Unfortunately, it is mandatory for all girls to wear _that_," Michiko stated with a scowl, wrinkling her nose at the uniform, "Whereas the men simply wear suits. Although I am certainly glad that I have found a girl who shares the same contempt towards the uniforms as me, everyone else finds them _adorable_."

"Well I am _not _going to walk around in just this, nor will I tolerate being adorable." Mei growled before scurrying towards her trunk to rummage through it.

"What is wrong with being adorable?" Her comrade enquired, leaning against the closed door with her arms wrapped about her abdomen.

"People... Well, men often assume that once you are adorable, you are weak and there for the taking, to them you become a petite, little, innocent girl who cannot defend herself and will do your bidding until the end, an obedient, devoted servant." Mei snarled to herself at the thought of being considered such, her hands curling around the end of her trunk tightly as her muscles contracted together tightly, "And I am far from that. I deserve respect from anyone, despite their gender or views of women and I will get it no matter what."

"I think I may cry," Michiko stated with a wide grin that revealed her pearly canines, the front two slightly bucked in a similar fashion to a rabbit, "I have finally found a girl who can share _my _headstrong confidence. I will not settle for anyone making me feel small, especially because of my height, as I am sure you feel the same." She gestured towards Mei's miniscule height before pointing to her own.

"I am simply vertically challenged," Mei retorted with a playful smile tugging at her pallid lips before she retrieved a pair of ivory and ebony striped tights from her trunk along with a dark choker with a silver coffin threaded through it and her extensive collection of primarily fingerless gloves, "Finally I can get a bit more comfortable in this uniform."

"I am the _exact _same way with my own," Michiko stated, running a hand through her dark purple tumbles as she watched Mei chuck various dark clothing accessories onto her bed spread.

"Well, I must say, I am glad I have found someone in this school besides myself who actually has taste." She said with a smirk before tugging her trunk shut, "I can only assume that as you implied you are the only other girl with confidence and the ability to stand up to a male here. I have already met an incredible irritant; I cannot stand her cutesy feeble attitude."

"I guess you met Hiyo then." Mei nodded at Michiko with a deadpan expression.

"Oh how did you know," She added sarcastically before continuing with a foul scowl spreading across her ivory pale features, "She seemed like a weak little parasite and was _not _pleased when I could not recognise her as '_the legendary white crow_'."

"I can only agree further with you there Mei. To be honest, I am baffled as to how Kurou can be in love with _that _thing." Michiko stated before chuckling melodically, her hand curling around the door handle that was pressed against her back, "I had better get going. I will come get you in the morning to take you to breakfast. We can eat together; I quite like your attitude. You have honestly exceeded my expectations of a female transfer student."

Michiko swept through the door as Mei bid her farewell, halting in her tracks briefly to glance over her shoulder with a wide smirk, "Exceeding my expectations in a good way, of course. Goodnight Mei."

* * *

Mei woke with a startle, her nerves aching furiously, begging to return to their peaceful slumber as she peeled her ashen, silver and charcoal flecked eyes open. She lay upon her back, her tumbling pin-straight ebony locks swept about the ivory sheets as the scarlet duvet clung to the dips and curves of her hourglass frame. Upon her bosom sat a leather bound, tattered book, facedown against her chest which she had fallen asleep reading the night before. Her head spun as she tugged her torso upright, marking the page in her book by folding the corner inwards before slamming the tome shut. She tucked it under her pillow before rubbing the soft palms of her petite hands against her dazed eyes. Suddenly her sour gaze darted towards the twin entrance to her dorm, narrowing her eyes darkly as a loud knock erupted from the barrier once more, this time the tempo quickening impatiently.

"Mei." Michiko's voice echoed through the room as she knocked once again, this time harder and faster as if she would slam her fist straight through the feeble wood any minute, "It is time to get up. Seriously, I want to go to breakfast and if I leave you here, Hiyo will come and whine to me and quite frankly, I do _not _want to deal with that first thing in the morning or I might just murder her."

"Fine, I will be out in a moment." Mei snapped as she heard her companion sigh with annoyance before leaning against the door with what was most likely a sour frown.

Mei whipped her legs out of the bed which were slid into a pair of loose-fitting ebony silk pyjama trousers as her torso was hugged by a dark thin-strapped tank top which–much to her irritation– exposed her developed cleavage. She glared at the school uniform that hung over her changing screen before reluctantly tugging off her bed clothes, maintaining her glower at the cardinal-coloured outfit. She ran a brush through her raven tangles as they crashed about her petite waist, her slanted bangs slipping across her forehead with her natural ivory streak shimmering brightly.

She emerged from her bedroom with a smirk as her gaze met Michiko's impatient expression before her lavender eyes skimmed over Mei's clothing. Her legs were wrapped in ivory and ebony horizontally striped tights, her petite feet stuffed into worn-out charcoal converse shoes with vibrant scarlet laces threaded through the dark fabric. Her hands were slid into a pair of fingerless jet black gloves with the emblem of a heavy metal band stitched onto the back of them.

Mei glanced at Michiko who nodded in consent towards her uniform. Michiko's legs were encased by intricately ebony laced tights; her feet slid into a pair of dark ballet flats. Her dark violet now point straight tangles fell about her waist, her shapely lips coated in a matching deep lavender colour whilst her sparkling, gem-like amethyst eyes were framed by elongated glossy, ebony lashes.

"Finally, I am starving." Michiko stated whilst threading her arm through Mei's before leading her through the winding, pale walled corridors of the female dormitories.

"I have a question," Michiko blurted as they strolled down the elegant staircases towards the extravagant double doors leading from the female dormitories towards the main school building.

"Continue..." Mei replied with an arch of her eyebrow inquisitively.

"Are you related to the writer Kimie A. Xiantha?" Her violet eyes glanced at Mei, wide with eager interest.

"Yes. She is my grandmother." She stated before pursing her lips together as the edges of Michiko's lips curled into a smile.

"I _love _her dark books, they are beyond wonderful." Michiko squeaked in excitement as Mei gawked at her in disbelief.

"Most girls actually really do not enjoy them, human or monster. They find them _too _dark and 'creepy'." She stated as Michiko simply threw her head back with bubbling laughter, her raven rabbit ears swinging about involuntarily.

"I am not most girls you see." Michiko beamed before trudging through the doors into the dining hall that buzzed with dazed early rising students.

A delectable aroma swept over Mei, causing her to stumble towards the buffet with Michiko at her side, her head swirling as her vision blurred, her senses bombarded by the delectable fragrance of freshly cooked food. She regained her composure as Michiko snatched a plate, piling various cooked and raw vegetables onto her plate with sparkling eyes of hunger. Mei scooped several spoonfuls of scrambled eggs onto her plate before snatching a few buns to line the edge of the dish. Mei's ears perked up as whispers erupted about the rectangular room, several eyes settling upon Mei as Michiko gestured for her to follow her towards a table at the far end of the room.

As they approached the round, pale-clothed table Mei's eyes widened slightly in shock, unaware that someone had already sat there. Michiko happily sat beside her male comrade, gesturing for Mei to sit across from them as her ashen eyes studied his paper-white complexion whilst sliding into the seat across from Michiko. He was tall, even sitting down, presumably one of the tallest students at the Saint Monster Academy and appeared to be in his late teens, perhaps eighteen years old. His hair was glossy ebony with a single streak of silver reminding Mei of the natural ivory streak through her slanted fringe. His tumbles were cropped at the back, clinging to the nape of his neck whilst the front was lopsided, the left side hanging well passed his slanted jaw, sweeping across his forehead and covering his left eye, his eyes narrow with a shimmering gold iris, a bizarre ivory rim wrapped around his ink black pupil. His right, visible eyebrow was pierced thrice with black hoops and his pointed elfin ears were sprinkled in black studs and hoops, particularly in the cartilage. Mei's gaze crept from his ear down his curved neck, eyeing the outlined white star tattoo that ran down his throat, just below his right ear. His high cheekbones were illuminated by the light of the dining hall, his lips full and pulled into a disinterested frown until his eyes darted up to meet Mei's inquisitive gaze, his lips parting involuntarily as he absorbed her foreign presence.

"Mei, this is Oniyuro Kuroi, you can call him Oni if you want. I do despite his protests," Michiko stated, earning herself a glare from Oniyuro, "Oni this is Mei Xiantha, the transfer student."

"It is nice to meet you." He muttered in a deep, alluring tone which Mei was not quite sure was intentional.

"And yourself," She replied before snarling at the eyes that stared at her curiously, "I have already figured out that Michiko is a rabbit monster... But what are you, Oniyuro?"

Oniyuro shifted uncomfortably in his seat before perching his chin upon his fist, his elbow propped up onto the table as he pondered his response.

"I do not think _we_ have a name." He stated bluntly, "But I can control the moon." He fell silent after that, leaving Mei questioning his words. She attempted to prod him for details but he simply ignored her, pushing around the food on his plate with his cutlery in disinterest.

"Do not listen to people when they call Oni the devil," Michiko added, noticing the stiff silence, "And it is a surprise for him to talk to someone he has never met before, so be thankful you got _that _much out of him."

"Shut it." He seethed through gritted teeth in a low tone that was barely audible to Mei, glaring at Michiko briefly before returning his attention to his dish.

His eyes glanced up at Mei undetected as she looked about the room, her features pinching together in irritation at the many gazes that continued to be focused upon her voluptuous figure.

"Why is everyone staring at me? Do they not have better things to do with their little insignificant lives?" She snarled with a pout pulling at her lips before she placed a spoonful of perfectly cooked egg into her mouth.

Oniyuro shook his head silently before reluctantly taking a bite out of his plain, crisp bun as his stomach groaned in excitement at the nutrition. Michiko smirked, taking a bite out of her persimmon, raw carrot before responding.

"Everyone is wondering if you are part of the Xiantha clan." She stated in a matter-of-factly tone as Oniyuro kept his gaze glued to his plate.

"And if you are a godai monster." He mumbled as Michiko leaned in towards the pair.

"Well, just between us," She spoke in a lowered tone, aware that many were listening in, "Are you, Mei?


	4. Chapter 04

**CHAPTER 04**

Mei glanced about herself at the various monsters and humans who struggled to hide their inquisitive stares before her ashen eyes resettled on Oniyuro and Michiko who leaned in with interest.

"Yes." She mumbled in a low tone as Michiko lowered herself back into her seat with a satisfied smirk curling at the edges of her shapely lips.

"Well then, Mei, I look forward to seeing these abilities of yours." She stated before nibbling on the end of a carrot with her two front teeth.

"It is very impressive to have a godai before us," Oniyuro murmured, his glistening golden eyes dragging up to meet Mei's before returning to the table his elbows were propped up upon, "I would like to see your abilities too... Purely for comparison to my own."

"Thank you..." Mei blurted in puzzlement, arching an eyebrow at the dark-haired, mysterious monster who sat before her before returning her attention to her barely touched meal.

In her clan women were the only ones who possessed such power; the men remained subservient to their partners, taking their name, following their wisdom. As she reflected over her clan, she began to wonder how she would show her new comrades her abilities; she could not risk losing her composure, losing control of her powers. She shook the thought from her head defiantly before shovelling another spoonful of scrambled eggs into her mouth, electrifying heat through her nerves. Whispers hummed about the room as the doors to the cafeteria swung open revealing a pair of females equal in height with matching bright fuchsia pink manes from which cat ears sprung. The one on the left had jaw-length curls with a thick fringe falling over her curved, impeccably shaped eyebrows that rested above her feline eyes that were gold in colour. Her short, slightly curved figure was hugged by her far too tight uniform, clearly exposing her smooth legs as she strutted through the cafeteria.

The one on the right sauntered with a bolder aura of confidence, swinging her hips alluringly as her similarly golden cat eyes narrowed seductively as they scanned the crowd of students hungrily. Her magenta locks bounced about her shoulder blades in a waterfall of fanciful, glimmering curls. Her figure was flawlessly shaped, her torso slipped into a pale blouse unbuttoned to reveal her ample cleavage whilst her plaid skirt shortened to reveal her long, slender legs. Her full lips were folded into an inviting smirk, coated in ruby-coloured gloss.

Mei glanced at them once more before concluding they were twins.

"They are not twins," Michiko piped as if she had read her comrade's thoughts, her lips forming a sour scowl as the pair of females approached the trio, "The one with shorter hair is our age, Maki, and the one beside her is her older sister, Ayaki. She is a year older than us, but let's just say she was far too busy mounting males to study for her exams last year."

Mei's glance shifted from the seventeen-year-old Maki to the eighteen-year-old Ayaki, noticing her eyes narrow further into dark slits as she glared at the foreign intruder.

"Good morning Michiko!" Ayaki chimed in a cheerful tone, her lips pulling into a wide grin to reveal her pearly white perfectly straight teeth, "I have missed you so much! I hate that we cannot see one another over the summer!"

Mei folded her arms over her well-developed chest, raising an eyebrow in amusement as Michiko sneered, rolling her amethyst eyes in aggravation as she pried herself free from Ayaki's suffocating embrace.

"Is the new girl bothering _my _best friend?" She snapped defensively, shooting Mei a dirty glare once more before shifting her glare to Oniyuro who simply ignored the presence of the two siblings.

"I am _not _your best friend for the umpteenth time," Michiko growled with growing ferocity, her eyebrows knitting together as she pinched the bridge of her nose with the buds of her thumb and forefinger, "I am _not _even your _friend_, Ayaki."

"Oh, Michiko, you are just such a joker." She replied, brushing off the fuming Michiko's comments with a girlish giggle that caused males to gaze over in interest, "This is why you are my best friend."

Oniyuro's pallid complexion contorted with irritation as he rested his head on the table, his psyche screaming violently for the intrusive females to leave before he ripped them to shreds.

"Ayaki, just _go away_." He snapped darkly, earning himself a glare from the bubbling flirtatious female.

"Just because _you _are a revolting, horrifying creep, does not mean I have to listen to you," She hissed, whipping her nose into the air proudly, "Why don't you crawl back into that little hole of yours you filthy little devil and leave _my _friend alone?"

Mei parted her lips as they pulled into a wide smirk, preparing to defend his honour against the irritating eighteen-year-old into when an erratic voice cut her off.

"Are you Mei?" Maki squealed with high-pitched anxiety, her figure practically quivering with excitement as she crowded Mei's personal space. She bobbed her head of dark tumbles into a nod, causing Maki to squeal once more before continuing with a raised voice, "Are you _really_ part of the Xiantha clan? Are you _really _a godia?"

Suddenly students swarmed towards the table as if they had been invited into the conversation, Maki continuing to interrogate Mei as others joined in. Michiko now wore a smug smirk, enjoying Mei's aggravation as she had done hers over Ayaki mere moments ago. Oniyuro sulked further, feeling his hands clenched into tight fists at the presence of those he detested–in other words, practically all in existence.

"Please tell us." A voice cried, breaking Mei's concentration on the sour-faced male before her.

"Please leave me alone." She groaned with a scowl.

"She is actually quite cute." Mei felt her blood curdle at the comment, her eyes narrowing into dark vicious slits as her head whipped about, searching the crowd for he who had made the comment.

"Who said that?" She snapped venomously, baring her teeth defensively as she caught Oniyuro raise his head in interest, his expression tinged with amusement over her wrath concerning the unidentified male, "Tell me who it is I have to kill for making such a comment."

Michiko chuckled darkly, folding her arms over her chest before nudging Oniyuro with her elbow, whispering to him with a smirk as students continued to gather around Mei, buzzing with excitement. Oniyuro groaned in frustration, breaking his apparent vow of silence with a deep growl erupting from his throat.

"Leave. Mei. Alone." He snarled furiously before returning his head to the tabletop, the crowd falling silent with shock and fear, all eyes fixated on the mysterious male.

Mei felt her lips curl into a smirk as the attention gradually returned to her, but the room remained stiff with silence.

"It does not make much of a different if I am a godai or not, or if I am a part of the Xiantha clan or not," She hummed smugly in an almost degrading sing-song voice as she pointed her finger across all the crowd, "I could still kill about half the monsters _and _humans in this very room within a second, I could kill the rest within another."

"Well then, if it makes no difference, why don't you just admit it?" A familiar masculine voice erupted through the crowd that gasped in shock at her words before parting to reveal the speaker. Yuki stood tall, his toned arms folded over his athletic chest as his attractive crystal eyes skimmed over the crowd, "I have _seen _your elemental manipulation so you might as well just admit it."

Jiro, Kurou, and Hiyo stood at his sides, glancing at her with interest. An unfamiliar female stood beside Hiyo, matching her in height but having a stench of human blood. Her dark, glossy ebony tangles fell about her adorable face neatly, her side-parted bangs pinned back with a butterfly clip, clearly exposing her porcelain complexion. Her eyes were large with a dark jade hue with highlights of shimmering gold, however now they were narrowed darkly, glaring at Jiro sourly. Her figure was slender, with barely any curves, her uniform hanging loosely from her shoulders and slim hips.

"What is a godai?" Hiyo enquired in an innocent squeak of a voice, her sky blue eyes sparkling with interest as she stared up at Kurou lovingly, her slender arms wrapped around his waist possessively, "Why is everyone so interested?"

Kurou grinned down at her, his dark chocolate almost charcoal black tumbles falling about his handsome face loosely as his dark purple tinged sapphire eyes glancing down at his beloved affectionately. He then glanced towards Mei with a smug smirk, reciting off his well-versed intelligence.

"Well, my little crow," He mused, his arms wrapped around Hiyo's miniscule form, the public displays of affection making Mei want to be sick on the spot, "A godai monster is _very _rare. They generally take a humanoid form and maintain elemental control, in other words they control the earth, wind, fire, water, _and_ void." Hiyo gasped in shock, gawking at Mei in disbelief, "In their true form they remain the most powerful... And _dangerous_. The only surviving godai are exclusively found within the secluded Xiantha clan."

"Kurou is right," Jiro added as Yuki rolled his eyes at him.

"What are the Xi-Xiantha clan?" She struggled to pronounce the word, twisting her fingers over one another nervously.

"They are a high ranking noble clan within the monster world that have been around for centuries. They live in a secluded village solely designated to their family; the only one that has emerged from it is Kimie A. Xiantha, who we can only assume is Miss Mei's mother-"

"Grandmother actually," Mei corrected before allowing him to proceed.

"Grandmother? I am quite shocked, she appears quite youthful. She is a famous author in our world and the human world as despite how connected we may be now, there still remain boundaries. In the Xiantha clan, only the females inherit the godai powers and thus are treated as superior to the males and are trained in elite combat. However, the opportunity to train is still open to males as of late, however as far as I am aware they deny the opportunity... Thus the females remain the rulers of the clan. One can only marry into the family if invited by a female and he must take her surname, continuing in the Xiantha clan in definitively." Yuki exhaled deeply, having completed his rant and smiled vainly, proud of his achievement as several females fawned over his vast knowledge–and impeccable beauty.

"Wow..." Hiyo whispered in awe, her eyes fixated on Mei who simply looked at her with a deadpan expression, "That is so _amazing_! Is it really all true?"

"I suppose it is." Jiro agreed with a wide, toothy grin that revealed his canines, "Although we would have to ask her." He gestured towards Mei.

Mei felt her ashen eyes dart to Michiko whose lips curled into a small smile, her cheeks blushing deep scarlet as her gaze shifted from the chuckling Jiro to the plate before her shyly. Oniyuro followed Mei's gaze, glancing at Michiko before rolling his amber eyes in disapproval, perching his chin in his hands. She struggled to stifle her laughter, hiding her coy grin as she returned her attention to the horde of students before her.

"Well, seeing as the rumours are already hear and bustling about," She began with a roll of her shimmering eyes, "I might as well tell you imbeciles and settle this once and for all."

Students leaned in with excitement, Hiyo scurrying forward to stand alongside Maki who attempted to nudge her out of the way to stand in Mei's line of vision.

_Pathetic_. Mei thought to herself before exhaling deeply, raising her voice so that it echoed throughout the lengthy, rectangular cafeteria.

"Yes, yes I am a godai, _the _godai. And yes, that _does _mean I am part of the Xiantha clan," She stated before her pallid features twisted with a dark ferocity as she leant back in her chair, slinging her arm around the back as if what she was about to say was as casual as can be, "And I assume you know what that means," Her voice became harsh and serious, filled with venom, "For those of who you don't, I shall spell it out for you. You can all assume what my kind are capable of, but it is so much more. So I suggest you all step back and leave me to my breakfast with Michiko and Oniyuro, before I am forced to _make _you leave."


	5. Chapter 05

Ahem... Well... Deepest apologies for any swearing, there may be more. Hence the age rating. Nothing too bad should pop up. I just wanted to warn anyone from now on.

* * *

**CHAPTER 05**

The students began to scurry away from the table, their eyes widened in shock at Mei's words, their paled expressions contorting with fear. As Kurou twisted Hiyo around by her shoulders, leading her away from Mei's harsh, lingering glare, the dark-haired girl who stunk of wretched human blood scrambled after them, her light almost airy voice squeaking in fright.

"She is _terrifying_." Her dark jade eyes darted over her slim shoulder at Mei once more before shifting towards Hiyo, "Would she _really _hurt someone? Should that... _Eccentric_ boy and Michiko be hanging around her if she is dangerous?"

Michiko's rose petal lips parted, the dark stud pierced above the left side of her upper lip glinting as a deep growl erupted from her throat, muffled by her gritted teeth. Her dark violet eyes narrowed into furious slits as her hands bunched together into fists, her fair flesh becoming reddened with heated fury.

"Who is that gi-" Mei began, eyeing Michiko suspiciously.

"Michiko!" Ayaki interrupted with a squeal causing Michiko's raven rabbit ears to perk up, her dark lavender hair whipping about her attractive face as she redirected her glare to the aggravating feline monster.

"Go. Away." She snapped venomously as Mei mirrored her glower towards the fuchsia-haired girl whose full lips dropped open, their alluring smirk replaced by an awkward gawk of shock.

"But Michiko..." Ayaki whined immaturely before her younger sister grasped her elbow, whispering to her gently whilst gesturing towards a table of males whose eyes were fixed on the scantily clad siblings. "Oh, looks like I have some _business _to attend to. I will be back soon! We can walk to History together!"

With a beam of farewell, Ayaki trotted away alongside her sibling, blissfully brushing off Michiko's murderous glare that could practically burn a hole in her hourglass figure. Mei folded her shapely lips into a smirk, propping her elbows onto the tabletop before lacing her fingers together, forming a platform on which to rest her chin.

"Don't you just have the best friend ever?" She teased as Michiko nibbled along the edge of her carrot, rolling her sparkling amethyst eyes with a scowl.

"Ayaki is _not _my friend. She is an irritant," Michiko spat with a sour expression before threading more sections of salad through her plump lips, "And she is not even that kind that we are warned about in Chemistry which can make your skin a bit itchy if you don't wash it off, she is the kind that burns gargantuan holes in countertops and melts off your flesh."

"Charming." Mei retorted her voice dripping in stiff sarcasm as her eyes shifted towards Hiyo briefly, eyeing the males about her before returning to Michiko. "Well then, who are those four who sit with Hiyo? Apart from their names and their poor taste in companions, I have no clue as to who they are."

"Kurou is a crow, as you already know, and a complete imbecile it appears. Who in his right mind would marry _that_?" Michiko explained as her lips curled into a snarl before she continued in a lowered tone that was drenched in irritation, "And Yuki is basically the male equivalent of Ayaki, minus the overwhelmingly aggravating desire for my attention. You will soon grow accustomed to the girls who fall about his feet in comatose."

"Were you one of those girls?" Mei prodded light-heartedly, becoming aware that the feeble table was the only thing separating her from Michiko's fists.

"Oh wow, you are hilarious, Mei." She snapped back with a roll of her eyes, "He _is _handsome, how wonderful for him. I still don't think of him as some otherworldly model-like god, unlike the majority of the female body at this school-"

"What about Jiro?" Mei interrupted Michiko's rant as her ashen, flecked with silver and ebony, eyes scanning her stunned expression as she was cut off midsentence.

"W-what?" She blurted as Oniyuro grunted, making his presence known as he raised his head from the table sluggishly.

"That moron is a wolf demon and as sporty as they come. How stereotypical?" He paused as if he had actually expected an answer to his statement, glancing from Mei to Michiko before continuing with a mocking sneer, "Although, he _is _quite popular with the _male _population."

"Oniyuro!" Michiko snapped instantly, her voice full of scolding malice as her muscles tensed together defensively, her narrowed eyes glaring at him darkly whilst her lips pursed into a frown. "Shut it right now."

Michiko's gaze flickered towards the far end of the room, reluctantly allowing her eyes to fall upon Jiro's handsome features that were pulled into a grin that bubbled with laughter. Her glare vanished instantaneously, replaced by a clouded over look that Mei struggled to identify as Michiko's lips tugged into a small smile.

"I think I am going to throw up." Oniyuro sneered, his dark voice trampling over Michiko's tranquil moment as her head whipped around to face him, her pinpoint straight locks slapping her fair skin that contorted into a glower once more.

"Fuck off." Michiko hissed, her curvaceous figure clinging to the chair as if she needed to restrain herself from curling her hand into a fist and slamming it around his monotonous expression.

Oniyuro's golden orbs scanned her stone cold expression that seeped with fury before resting his head upon the table once more in defeat, mumbling to himself sourly. Mei glanced from him to Michiko before snickering into the palm of her petite hand, a wide grin spreading across her lips attempting to lighten the awkward mood that had settled.

"Oh Michiko, aren't you just smitten?" Michiko fumed at Mei as she drummed over a nerve with a mischievous smirk hidden behind her grin, "I believe the saying is a _little smitten kitten_."

"Shut up! I am _nothing _of the sort!" Michiko shouted far louder than she intended, clasping a hand over her mouth as several curious gazes shifted towards her, her face darkening to a shade of beetroot as her raven ears sprinkled in piercing flopped forward, shadowing her expression of clear embarrassment.

"You are a horrible liar." Oniyuro muttered from his proclaimed chamber of solitude, earning himself the same fierce look from Michiko that Mei had as she folded her arms over her well-developed chest.

"I liked you better when you were dead quiet." She growled with a pout as Mei sighed in surrender, wrinkling her straight nose before continuing.

"Who is the human then?" Mei enquired, relieving Michiko of her embarrassment immediately before she latched onto Mei's question, her fair features twisting with ferocity.

"The dark-haired little b– Little witch?" Michiko's tone became soaked in spite, Mei nodding gently before her companion continued curtly. "_That _is Komugi Taneda."

"We had better get to History," Michiko added, breaking the stifled silence that swarmed between them before nudging Oniyuro with her elbow, "Is it safe for me to assume that you are returning to your dorm as always? Going to meet us back here at dinner?"

"Actually..." He mused whilst drumming the buds of his right pointer and middle fingers over his pale bottom lip, his vibrant shimmering eyes darting towards Mei before resettling upon the tabletop, "I thought I might as well attend _one _class this term."

* * *

The History classroom was well-lit, the far wall decorated by ivory lined French windows which the golden sunlight poured through gloriously, illuminating the peach walled rectangular room. There were five columns of desks and their matching chairs as well as numerous rows that continued towards the end of the room, the first row sitting a metre or two from the teacher's desk on which a flawlessly sculpted handbag sat alongside a stack of parchment. A cool April breeze swept through the room, bursting through the openings in the windows excitedly before smothering the students in the crisp smell of freshly cut grass and dew that accompanied the start of term.

Mei ruffled a hand though her well-layered, ebony tumbles as she followed Michiko to a row towards the back of the room, taking the seat to Michiko's left without protest. Oniyuro stalked behind the pair, his expression filled with regret as he glared at the many pairs of eyes that stared at him in disbelief, gawking at his rare presence in class. He folded his slender arms over his slim torso, his lopsided charcoal black tumbles shadowing his paper-white features, a single strip of silver running through his dark curtains of hair. He glanced from Michiko to Mei, drawing his eyebrows together sharply before taking the seat on Mei's other side, slumping in the chair and slinging one of his long arms over the back, crossing his legs over one another. His dark combat boots clanked against the metal legs of the table as he shifted in his seat fussily, his free hand rummaging through the pocket of his black slacks before withdrawing a silver pen from the pouch triumphantly.

"Why are you sitting over there?" Michiko enquired, eyeing him carefully as he adjusted his seat before opening his mouth to respond.

"Michiko!" Ayaki's shrill voice cried as her voluptuous figure stormed through the crowds, her rose curls bouncing about her miniscule waist erratically as she went. "Why did you not wait for me at breakfast? I wanted to walk together!"

"Oh gosh, now why would I want to give up an opportunity to walk around with someone like _you_?" She snapped sarcastically as Ayaki simply grinned smugly.

"I knew you were not avoiding me!" She squealed with excitement, brushing off her rude comment before taking the seat on Michiko's other side, "I guess you were just being generous and showing the transfer student around."

"I..." Michiko shook her head limply as her expression remained shocked at Ayaki's inability to comprehend their friendship–or lack thereof. Michiko knew there was no point in trying to argue now, she was already stuck sitting next to Ayaki; she might as well try and shut her up as soon as possible.

"Ayaki, don't walk so fast!" Maki exclaimed, emerging from the cluster of students with an exhausted expression, her shorter waves of bright pink bounding about her adorable face.

"What a perfect place to sit!" She added glancing at Mei with enthusiasm before spotting the glaring Oniyuro sat beside her, "Oh... I wanted to sit beside you, Mei. We should _definitely _be friends. I can show you around school, I have been here my _entire _life and introduce you to everyone, _trust me_, I know _everyone_."

"Right..." Mei mumbled in disinterest, pursing her lips together to form a deadpan expression, "Well, right now I am _far _too busy with Michiko and Oniyuro for all of _that_. Besides, I would rather not be friends with a power hungry moron with no doubt a pretty pathetic monster ability. And, in case you were wondering, I am perfectly happy sitting with these two and no one else."

Mei raised her nose into the air proudly as Maki's expression twisted with offence, her jaw dropping in shock at the blatant rejection as Oniyuro did not attempt to hide the smirk that spread across his thin lips, enjoying every delectable moment of Maki's embarrassment and stunned misery.

"Good morning class!" A feminine voice chimed as the teacher swept into the room, ordering everyone to take their seats causing Maki to reluctantly storm off to sit with Hiyo and a cluster of females.

"Good morning Kamako sensei." The horde of students replied politely as Mei glanced over the professor inquisitively.

Kamakura Kamako was tall, akin to a catwalk model with a slender, dainty build that counteracted her bizarre height. Her jet black tangles were pulled back into a sleek braid that tickled along her lower back, shorter strands left free to frame her youthful, fair-skinned, oval-shaped face that was free of any imperfections. Her full, ruby-coloured lips spread into a smile that revealed perfectly straight teeth as her bright eyes rimmed by long, ebony lashes focused on Mei. Mei felt an urge to smile, aware from first sight that despite her female appearance, Kamako was almost definitively a male.

"Welcome to Saint Monster Academy, Mei Xiantha." Kamako chimed with a kind tone to her voice.

"Thank you, Kamako sensei." She replied curtly.

"Although I would like to test your knowledge, why don't we get the juices of knowledge flowing with some group reading?" Kamako announced, clapping her hands together with a wider grin before she gestured towards Michiko, "Michiko would you please read page one hundred and eighty two out of our text book?"

Michiko nodded reluctantly, well-aware that she _actually_ had no choice in the matter. She stood from her seat, peeling her tome open before reciting the hieroglyphics flawlessly. Mei felt her head bob into a nod of approval, reflecting over her delight at finally having found a _female _comrade with a similar confidence, strong opinions, intelligence, and blunt attitude as herself. As Michiko continued to read off the parchment with impeccable pronunciation forming a natural accent to what she read, a pain erupted through Mei's arm, originating from her elbow.

She glanced down to find a tightly folded section of paper at the point of her elbow before reluctantly peeling it open to read the elegant curved writing that greeted her kindly. She glanced at Oniyuro who was carving shapes into the wood of the desk with the tip of his silver pen before she flipped the parchment around, scribbling down a question that had lingered in her mind since breakfast; her psyche buzzing with enquiries over the Komugi Taneda, _human _girl that Michiko had shown such distaste towards.

_Who is Komugi Taneda?_

Mei flicked the note back to Oniyuro who skimmed over it before he too jotted down a response, Mei shifting onto the edge of her seat with curiosity as she awaited the return of the parchment. Soon enough, Oniyuro pushed it towards her, watching her cautiously as she tugged it open, smoothing out the paper before reading the slanted writing.

_Komugi Taneda is a human, as I am sure you can tell by her stench, but she apparently has a "strong sixth sense" that means she can identify monsters from humans when others cannot. She is very smart and in our year, I think, doubling as Hiyo's best friend despite her clear lack of intelligence. _

_More importantly, she dated Jiro since they were 15 until the beginning of the final term of last year, around the end of December. Not only is she an inferior human by far compared to Michiko, but she is also Michiko's self-proclaimed rival as despite having smashed Jiro's heart to pieces, she still hangs around him and his friends, almost trying to ward off other girls from going near him. _

_In other words, it is a huge, overly complicated mess of teenage hormones and emotions which I suggest you stay out of. Komugi Taneda may be a human, but she can be a real pain if you give her the opportunity._


	6. Chapter 06

**CHAPTER 06**

Mei sat cross-legged upon her charcoal-sheeted double bed, her back resting against the elegantly carved headboard as she balanced the curved butt of her jet black bass guitar against her bent knees. Her left hand was curled around the headstock of its elongated neck, adjusting the silver knobs to tighten the four strings individually whilst her slender fingers of her right hand thumped over the cords, tuning the guitar carefully with the aid of a sleek, handheld electronic device.

An over-sized raven shirt hung from her shoulders, outlining her ample bosom before falling loosely about her abdomen, the hem skimming along her mid-thigh. The chest of the shirt was printed with charred calligraphy, expressing the name of a European death metal band that had caught her obsessive fancy. Her folded legs were encased in similarly coloured torn leggings, her feet which were nearly tucked beneath their opposite knees slid into a pair of mismatching socks, one was a dulled out persimmon as the other was striped in differing shades of coal. Her raven tangles were pulled back into a loose ponytail held in place by a dark band, her slanted bangs falling free to sweep across her forehead, tickling over her ashen flecked orbs which were narrowed in concentration as her gaze was focused upon the bass cradled in her grasp.

"I didn't know you played the bass." Michiko interrupted the silence between them, not looking up from the young adult novel that was resting against her drawn up knees.

Michiko had perched her curvaceous figure upon the window edge, her knees propped up close to her torso as her side was pressed against the chilled window, her back resting against the dip of the wall that outlined the window frame. Her developed torso was hugged by a tight-fitting, dark lavender tank top that exposed her cleavage, her legs tucked into a pair of ebony shorts that swept along the middle of her slender thighs. Her deep violet tumbles poured over her shoulders in pinpoint straight curtains as she bowed her head over the novel, her dark amethyst gems scanning the print that was sprawled across the freshly produced parchment. Her dainty nose wiggled absentmindedly as she read, absorbing the delectable aroma of newly published tomes as her raven black rabbit ears twitched whilst she concentrated, their rims now decorated in silver studs instead of slender rings and bars. The edges of her well-shaped, naturally wine-coloured lips tugged upwards and downwards as she read, the stud pierced above the left side of her upper lip glinting in the moonlight.

"Well, I do." Mei replied curtly, glancing up at Michiko briefly before returning her attention to her bass. "And I love my Xander."

"What a wonderful name for a bass." Michiko stated as she marked the page of her novel before slamming it shut. "It has gotten dark quickly."

Her sparkling eyes glanced out of the glass window into the darkness that enveloped the campus of their school, the pitter-patter of heavy rain droplets humming about the room rhythmically. Her glance darted towards the sky above, eyeing the sprinkling of twinkling stars before outlining the sphere of bright ivory that shone brightly in the centre of the charcoal heavens.

"It looks like there is a full moon tonight..." She mused.

"That so." Mei murmured, barely registering what her comrade was saying as she continued to pluck the buds of her fingers over the strings of her bass.

"I guess Oniyuro must be in a good mood tonight." Michiko replied, arching her eyebrows curiously as she brushed off Mei's mutter. "I wonder why, he rarely is ever happy enough for a _full _moon."

Mei's ears perked up in interest, her fiddling over her bass halting immediately as her eyes stared at Michiko inquisitively, her pallid lips pursing together as she prepared her enquiry.

"Michiko," She began, eyeing her purple-haired comrade who continued to gaze out into the looming shadows of the night. "Would you mind explaining Oniyuro's _abilities _to me as a monster? I don't even think I have heard of a monster that can control the lunar cycles."

"Well... I probably don't know much more than you, to be honest." Michiko stated as her gaze dropped to her arms which she folded together before draping them over her propped up knees. "All I can really tell you is he controls the lunar cycles, but only in response to his emotions generally. He cannot _really _control the moon at will; a full moon generally accompanies positive moods whereas a new moon accompanies negative moods.

"But, strangely enough, Oni can also handle very–and I mean _very_–dark magic skilfully, almost at ease as if he did not have to learn any of it. I guess that is why he is dubbed the devil by just about everyone who comes into contact with him. As for his monster _type_, he does not officially have a type, the ministry of classification visits him a lot in an attempt to classify his type. They _study _him although he usually rebuffs their visits, locking himself away from others. The ministry thinks he is the first of his kind, but they know nothing of his family. None of us do."

Mei had placed her bass guitar at her side upon the cushion of her mattress, her ashen flecked ebony eyes twinkling with interest as she rested her slanted jaw onto her knuckles, her hand curled into a tight fist. She propped her elbow on top of its respective knees, leaning her torso forward with interest as she listened to Oniyuro's tale.

"Everyone calls him the devil because of his abilities?" She enquired, her expression dropping in disappointment. "He is not terrifying in the slightest to me, a _new _student at this academy, yet everyone else is terrified of him, too frightened to even sit next to him for a measly few minutes."

"Oni is quiet and generally prefers not to be around people, _any _people. I think he actually prefers people to be scared of him, it keeps them away from him to his delight." Michiko paused before chuckling dryly at the thought of Oniyuro showing _delight_. "And... Well, a couple of years ago, we had a boy a two years above us, the _vice _president of our student union, Tsuragi Yazaki. He was an incredible irritant who thoroughly enjoyed enforcing the _rules _of our school.

"Anyway, Oni, as the indifferent boy he is, tends to skip class and perform dark magic on younger or weaker students. So, Yazaki decided to confront him, to _punish _him." Michiko's voice became dark and husk as she recalled the events of the day that lingered in her memory. "Oniyuro thrashed him, within the blink of an eye Yazaki was lying across the floor, bleeding from just about every place physically possible. As the students stared in fear and shock, all Oniyuro could do was smile as he scooped up a sliver of blood with his fingertip, placing it in his mouth as his smile spread. _That _is why everyone is so terrified of him. You do not realise how _lucky _you are that Oniyuro has accepted you so easily, the only other people he has accepted are Reiko and myself. And _I _have known him since his first day here. That and a cat that follows him just about everywhere he goes."

"Who is Reiko? How does she know Oniyuro?" Mei piped, drawing her eyebrows together in concentration.

"Reiko Izumazi is a sweet monster who used to go to school here, she left a few years ago and now attends the Saint Monster University as a third year." Michiko explained, tapping the buds of her fingertips over her soft lips as she mused over her twenty-year-old comrade. "I think Oniyuro is her friend because he feels a loyalty to her. When he was much, _much _younger, he could not control his dark magic very well and it got out of control. He was barely alive when Reiko found him at the edge of the school grounds; I guess he was lucky that Reiko has _always _aspired to be a nurse. She saved his life and ever since he has been a loyal friend to her, defending her against _anyone_, even me when I get into one of my moods."

"I really cannot imagine Oniyuro like that." Mei laughed softly at the image, flicking her sweeping bangs out of her eyes, an ivory streak running through her slanted ebony fringe. "When will _I _get to meet her and see _that _persona of Oniyuro?"

"Actually, you will probably meet her really soon. Our campus is related to the university and the students of each visit one another quite often." Michiko stated before glancing at Mei. "Especially now that there is a _transfer _student, we will have quite a few visitors. Plus Reiko enjoys visiting her mentor, although she has not visited since Hiyo came to the school due to the dangers and dramas that came along with her. Oni and I only see her during the holidays now."

"Well, I look forward to meeting her. She must be something if she can be sweet without Oniyuro trying to murder her on the spot." She replied with a grin breaking across her lips, her fingers skimming over the bass at her side absentmindedly. "Although, I am not exactly enthusiastic about meeting any _other _visitors we may have."

"You still have the majority of _our _school to meet." Michiko retorted with a wide, triumphant smirk as she lifted herself to her feet, folding her arms over her well-developed chest as she glanced at Mei. "Now that you have interrogated me for several minutes, _I _have a question for _you_. In your elemental control, what exactly _is _the void?"

"The void is _complicated_, to say the least." Mei began, her paper white features pinching together in concentration as Michiko leant against the far wall, awaiting Mei's answer. "The void is everything _and _nothing... It is the energy that exists across all works, the darkness, the light... My use of it is very limited by my choice; it is a powerful, dangerous element. And my _personal_ favourite."

"How serious." Michiko teased whilst striding towards the doors that led from Mei's dorm into the winding corridors of the female dormitories. "I am going to head off to bed now, but before I go, I thought I should tell you that we have physical education tomorrow before dinner. You might want to check the uniform before then, it's in the bag I gave you yesterday."

With that, Michiko exited from the room, her dark violet locks bouncing about her alluring figure before she vanished into the darkness of the hallway, sauntering back to her own dorm. Mei reluctantly crawled from her bed, grasping hold of her bass and returning it to its sturdy stand before stalking towards the bag Michiko had left earlier. She dug through it curiously before her glistening eyes widened in disbelief, her blood boiling in her veins as she withdrew the scantily clad uniform, a deadpan expression slapping across her pale features. She smirked, concocting a plan as she clenched her hands into fists around the uniform.

_I am expected to wear this?_ She thought to herself. _Over my dead body.

* * *

_

Mei felt her eyes rip open, her torso throttling forward as her muscles tensed together defensively, her blurred vision darting about the blackened room in fright. Her hands were curled together tightly, clenching fistfuls of the duvet as her breathing rate heightened, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her vision returned to normal as her eyes adjusted to the dark that loomed over her dorm before shifting towards the window, her curtains left open as the moonlight pooled into the room.

A shadow stretched across the floor, pouring from the window as the tapping sound that had awoken her from her blissful slumber echoed through her room once more. Mei swung her legs from the duvet, her bare feet meeting the chilled floor as she slowly crept towards the window, her nails digging into the palms of her hands as she clenched her fists tight. As she approached the window, the silhouette became clear and the beholder appeared. The black crow tapped its slender, golden beak against the window once more, its eyes focused on Mei in anticipation as her porcelain features contorted with confusion.

"Go on." She hissed, gesturing for it to leave. "Stop bothering me."

_Oh lord, I am talking to a crow_. She mentally scolded herself, folding her arms over her developed chest defiantly as the bird continued to stare at her.

Its jet black feathers were matted down to its body, drenched in water droplets as it was stuck out in the pounding rain, its figure shivering slightly beneath the harsh freeze of the thunderstorm. Mei glanced at it wearily before averting her eyes to the limp curling feather that emerged from the top of its head.

_He looks like a male... And I guess the bird is not Kurou's crow._ She thought to herself, maintaining her gaze upon the creature before sighing in defeat. _I cannot just leave him out there._

Mei groaned slightly before peeling the window open, allowing the crow to hop inside excitedly, glancing at her as if to silently thank her for her aid. She smiled gently before running her hand over its feathers, removing the water from its figure with great control, the droplets encasing her hand before she whipped them out into the rain. She slammed the window shut as the crow cawed in joy over his newly dried figure, his curl perking up softly alongside his mood.

"You have a mighty curl there." Mei teased, running her fingers over the curl, tugging on it gently before springing it back into place.

Mei attempted to move her hand from the crow, but he simply tilted his head to the side, rubbing it against the palm of her hand affectionately as she reluctantly continued to pat him.

"Look, I have got to get to bed now." She scolded the crow who simply cocked its head in confusion, clearly not understanding what she was saying. "And I am talking to you _again_."

Mei rolled her eyes before stalking back to her bed, climbing onto the mattress before snuggling into the duvet. The crow followed her, perching himself upon one of the four posters of her bed comfortably as Mei slowly fell back into unconsciousness, dreading the day to come.


	7. Chapter 07

**CHAPTER 07**

Mei groaned to herself, her figure huddled beneath the thick duvet as the shrieking of her alarm echoed about her chamber, disturbing her peaceful slumber. She quickly silenced the screaming clock before whipping herself upright, sending her head into an unsteady vertigo from the sudden movement.

"Well that is just brilliant." She muttered to herself, pinching her eyes shut as she attempted to regain her composure before dragging her figure to its feet slowly.

Her shimmering eyes snapped open, glancing about the room that was illuminated by the golden rays of sunlight that bombarded through the windows. Her eyes settled on the charcoal crow that remained peacefully perched upon the foot of her bed, far too deep in his slumber for her movement to alert him. Mei quickly scurried towards the window, peeling it open from its frame to ensure the bird could leave when it desired before slipping behind her screen and tugging on her uniform. She scowled at herself in the mirror, cursing the lack of coverage it offered as she ran her fingers through her raven tangles in a lazy attempt to comb them into place. Mei sighed at her sports uniform, running her fingers over the material before stuffing the clothing into her shoulder bag. With one last glance at the crow, she swung the strap over her shoulder and darted from the room.

As Mei approached the cafeteria, the insignificant chatter of peppy students buzzed over her alongside the delectable aroma of freshly baked goods that sent her stomach into a furious moan of hunger. She slapped her hand over her abdomen before slipping into the room, her stomach's groans becoming louder at the sight of the steaming buffet that she scrambled towards. As she walked, her gaze slipped towards Kurou who sat with his arms wrapped about Hiyo, a darkly coloured crow perched upon the back of his chair.

_That crow could not have been his_. She thought as a sigh of relief escaped her lips. _Thank god. _

Hiyo's bright azure blue eyes caught Mei's gaze excitedly, causing her to stick her hand into the air and wave it about frantically in an attempt to beckon the transfer student towards her. Mei rolled her eyes before her gaze narrowed into a sharp glare of rejection that she prayed the bubbly, moronic girl would understand.

Suddenly, a well-toned arm jetted out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks as its owner slipped into her line of vision, abruptly interrupting her penetrating glare. A flawless array of platinum tangles fell about Yuki's handsome face, framing his porcelain skin as his crystal orbs glanced from his trio of comrades to Mei who sported a sour frown. His lips moulded into a charming smile that made Mei's hands clench into tight fists as she longed to wipe the grin from his face.

"What do you want?" She snapped venomously.

"Put the claws away, Mei." He chimed harmonically, several on looking females swooning in delight at his naturally deep, alluring voice. "I have a few things to _discuss _with you."

"Well fuck off." Mei growled yet his smug expression did not falter; only causing her blood to curdle with further ferocity. "I have no interest in what someone like _you _has to say."

"Do not flatter yourself; I am not here to discuss _that_." His smile became a vain smirk as he gestured towards the girls sprinkled about them, fawning over him as if he were a god. "I do not need to get any of _that _from _you_; I have all I could ever need."

"Well that is just great, now if you do not mind, move out of my way." Mei hissed with an impatient roll of her eyes.

"If you actually _listen_, then I will not have to repeat myself and you can go." Yuki murmured in a matter-of-factly tone that earned him a dark glare from her. "Every new student at our academy must join a club. You may join one of mine if you wish, many cute girls join them."

"Do _not _call me that or I will rip out your tongue on the spot." She fumed wrathfully. "And I would _never _join any of _your _clubs."

"Very well, I am sure many other students will invite you to join theirs." He replied nonchalantly with a gesture towards the students that shifted in their seats, eager to approach Mei's unsuspecting figure. "And Hiyo wanted me to ask if you would join the student union."

"As much fun as that sounds, _no_." With that, Mei turned on her heel and stalked away from the tall, handsome Yuki as her pallid features contorted together with aggravation.

As she reached the buffet, she began forcibly shoving ladlefuls of porridge into her bowl before littering a small saucer in various fruits that was ripened to perfection. She ignored the polite greetings of those around her as she whipped around, storming towards the table that sat in the far corner, claimed by her peculiar comrades. Michiko's tall, raven rabbit ears perked up to the sound of Mei's sharp, quickened footsteps, her deep violet eyes darting up from the sliver of vegetation she was nibbling over as a smirk spread across her cherry blossom lips.

"Wow, you are cold this morning." She prodded coyly, faking a shiver playfully as Mei scowled, taking the seat to her left.

Oniyuro's golden eyes darted up, scanning the crowd of onlookers before narrowing his gaze into a murderous glare, frightening the bystanders back to their meals as Mei flashed him a small smile of silent gratitude. He nodded to her awkwardly before bowing his head, his lopsided jet black mop of hair shadowing his deadpan expression darkly.

In his lap lay a charcoal furred, male cat that was curled up upon the dips and rises of his slender legs. It purred jovially as he ran his hands over him gently, rubbing the buds of his fingers against the bottom of his ear, causing the cat to arch his head towards Oniyuro's hand lovingly if he attempted to stop. The cat's miniature paws were ivory, as if they were coated in gloves and a crescent-shaped, similarly coloured mark was placed on the left side of his hindquarters. As a tall, broad male stalked passed the table, cursing under his breath '_devil' _to Oniyuro, the feline leapt into life, his dark fur standing on end as he arched his body defensively. Mei gawked in disbelief as the cat began to hiss furiously, baring his sharpened canines at the rude male.

"Calm down, Kuroma." Oniyuro muttered as the cat obeyed happily before nuzzling himself back into his owner's lap.

"So what did the pretty boy want?" Michiko piped, tilting her head to the side at Mei inquisitively before taking a bite out of her meal.

"Apart from getting under my skin and begging for a death wish, he said all new students have to join a club." Mei snarled, her eyebrows knitting together over her narrowed eyes in irritation. "And he invited me to join his, which I am pretty sure he only did to piss me off. Oh, _and_ Hiyo invited me to join the 'Student Union'."

"How wonderful." Oniyuro muttered to himself, his voice drenched in sarcasm as he picked at his plate of barely cooked meat in disinterest. "Yuki is a self-involved, infuriating moron who will go nowhere in life once everyone realises he is a dime a dozen."

"You are in a great mood today, aren't you Oni?" Michiko hummed mockingly before returning her gaze to the dark-haired female before her who was shovelling spoonfuls of steaming porridge into her mouth. "Besides, you can join _our _club, the B.M.R.A. Club."

"Because that stands for...?" Mei enquired, her head bowed over her bowl of porridge hungrily.

"The Book, Moon, and Rabbit Appreciation Club." She replied in a matter-of-fact tone as she propped her elbow onto the table, resting her slanted jaw on her fist, her dark lavender locks pouring over her slender shoulder in lustrous spirals. Her now bare plate lay before her with her silver cutlery folded over it as she watched Mei and Oniyuro eat their food at a miraculously slow speed, much to her dismay.

"What is that like then? Reading whilst stargazing with a rabbit next to you?" Mei enquired, arching her eyebrow at the pair as they chuckled in unison at her expense.

"Actually it more so an excuse to do nothing." Oniyuro corrected.

"But we could change it to the Book, Moon, Rabbit, _and _Music Appreciation Club," Michiko mused, earning herself a bewildered gaze from the oblivious male to her right causing her to roll her glistening eyes at him. "Well as _I _know, Mei plays the bass, and we _do _have a bassist position open as of now."

"Well, that sounds wonderful, nothing is better than an excuse to do nothing." Mei replied with a shrug whilst attempting to blow her slanted ebony bangs with a single streak of ivory out of her eyes only for them to fall back into place defiantly. "But you can keep the original name or else it is just a colossal mouthful, I can always say I have an appreciation for the moon, rabbits, and books."

"Sounds like a plan." Oniyuro mumbled, pausing to swallow a mouthful of meat.

As he opened his mouth to continue, the doors to the cafeteria swung open, scraping over the floor with a piercing squeak that interrupted him abruptly. The frail wooden structures slammed into the walls behind them as all stares darted to the hatchway in anticipation, even Mei reluctantly following the gazes to gawk down the shadowed hallway.

"It looks like the kids from the Saint Monster University are here." Michiko whispered, nudging Mei in the ribs with her elbow before pointing towards the figures that emerged from the darkness, dressed in intricate, extravagant uniforms with _SM _stitched into the breast in ebony thread.

A trio of blonde-haired males emerged first, the front one far shorter than the others, barely reaching just over 165 centimetres in height. Well-combed golden hair fell about tickled along his nape, shorter strands cut to frame his deep sapphire eyes. His slender figure was dresses in a pair of dark slacks and an ivory, collared buttoned-up shirt worn beneath a charcoal waistcoat onto which the _SM _emblem was stitched. His gaze searched the crowd before landing on Hiyo, his child-like face lighting up with joy that made Mei want to wretch in disgust.

Behind him stood two males who resembled the shorter male just enough for there to be a distant family resemblance, yet their likeness to each other was so intricate that it could only be assumed that they were brothers, if not twins. The first had loose blonde tangles that fell about the nape of his neck in an untameable mop that he had attempted to comb yet flicked about disobediently. His eyes were a sparkling golden tone that was not nearly as vibrant as Oniyuro's and were currently narrowed into a pitiful glare at Yuki who simply grinned at him kindly. His sibling matched him exactly in structure and height, although his similarly coloured tumbles fell to the small of his back, shorter strands that tickled along his collarbone framing his handsome, porcelain face. Their tall, slim bodies were drenched in matching gothic Victorian suits in tones of ebony, scarlet, and ivory, the emblem stitched into their clothing in a dark maroon design that was rimmed by charcoal cobwebs.

"Those are the Bradfords, the miniature one is L and he is apparently the heir to a pure blooded vampire clan." Michiko murmured before gesturing towards the brothers. "Those two are L's cousins, J and K. They are brothers, although I am sure you can tell considering their appearances. They are only _half _vampire; the rest of them is entirely human. It is almost pathetic; their mother was a meek little human girl who was seduced by a pure blooded vampire who was most likely just a bit bored."

"How pitiful and I find the single letter names a bit disturbing." Mei retorted as her eyes focused on the short L Bradford as he swept towards the table at which Hiyo sat, chatting away to her animatedly as if he had known her for years whilst Kurou glared at him viciously.

"You might want to pay attention now." Oniyuro murmured as his shimmering bright eyes were fixated on the hatchway, indicating Mei to follow his gaze as he instructed.

Mei reluctantly complied, glancing at the shadowed hatchway as a female figure moved into sight, her adorable, petite figure overshadowed by the towering male vampires that waited for her.

"_That_," Michiko began with a smirk, not breaking her glance from the female, "is Reiko Izumazi."


	8. Chapter 08

**CHAPTER 08**

Mei watched as Reiko Izumazi emerged from the shadows, her figure far shorter than that of the Bradfords, barely looking older than Mei herself. Her eyes stared off defocused into the distance, the glossed over, pale sky blue orbs sitting on either side of a straight nose with the tip slightly upturned. Just above her eyes sat a thick ebony fringe cut straight across her curved eyebrows with the rest of her fair features framed by long, similarly coloured tumbles that bounced about her elbows in a waterfall of spirals. Her dainty torso was tucked into an ivory blouse that fluttered loosely about her slight curves, ending just along her thighs which were encased by shimmering jet black spandex trousers. Reiko shuffled towards the buffet, guided by J and K Bradford who cupped their hands over her back gently as she scooped several ripening fruits onto an ivory saucer.

"The reason the vampires enjoy her company so much is because she is a bat demon, a _vampire _bat demon." Michiko interrupted Mei's thoughts over the petite female.

"I think they are just looking for someone to feed on." Oniyuro muttered with a scowl, his bright eyes narrowed into a glare at the men who scurried alongside his companion.

Mei followed his gaze once more to Reiko only to find her tumbling forward, the males grasping her before she toppled to the ground, straightening her upright with small smiles as she blushed deep scarlet.

"What's wrong with Reiko?" She enquired over her shoulder.

"Don't worry," Michiko replied with a loud chuckle. "She isn't ill, she is blind."

Beneath her dark locks, Reiko's ears perked up, her eyes widening as she tore free from the safe clutches of her comrades. She scrambled towards the table with a grin that revealed her pointed canines as she narrowly avoided several collisions with students.

"I am blind as a bat." She corrected in a melodic voice as she reached the table, placing her plate carefully onto the surface.

"Good morning, Reiko." Oniyuro piped with the corner of his lips twitching into a crooked smile.

"Good morning," She replied softly, her hands grasping the edge of the table as she attempted to inch herself towards a chair. "I hope you do not mind if I sit here."

"Not at all." Michiko beamed, pushing the free chair to her side towards her blind companion.

"I meant I hope your friend does not mind." Reiko stated gently, her head darting about as she attempted to pinpoint Mei's position.

"I do not mind at all," Mei piped unable to hide her curious stare at Reiko's blinded eyes. "I'm Mei Xiantha, a transfer student."

"Reiko Izumazi," She returned with a wider smile as she took her seat, picking at the vibrant fruits sprinkled across her plate. "Are you the godai monster everyone is speaking about?"

Mei watched as Reiko sunk her canines into a peach, sucking out the juices as if she were a vampire before shaking her head and replying with a wholehearted chuckle.

"Yes, I am. I hope you do not mind me asking," Mei glanced at Reiko who simply nodded in approval before continuing with her enquiry. "But what caused your blindness? Is it a part of your monster type? I have not really met many other monsters before now."

"I don't mind at all, it is better to know the truth than make assumptions. Actually, in all bat demons we are born blind and acquire sight at the latest two years of age. But I did not. However, I actually do not find it to be remotely debilitating, all it means is heightened hearing and other senses so it really is not that hard to find my way around new places or recognise people on their voices." She explained.

"How did you know I was here then? I was fairly silent." Mei intercepted with deep interest.

Reiko shrugged, swallowing a mouthful of fruit before continuing.

"I can generally sense others by their aroma, not in a bad way though. It is just that different monster types and different genetics have different subtle smells that most cannot consciously recognise." She stated, tapping the bud of her pointer finger upon the tip of her nose with a smirk. "The only people I struggle to recognise are identical twins, for obvious reasons."

"How interesting," Oniyuro snarled sarcastically, rolling his eyes before redirecting his attention to the older female. "Why are you visiting us then? I thought you had stopped once Hiyo arrived."

"Now that Kurou and Hiyo are married the craze has died down quite a bit. That and I have some work to do here in relation to my university course."

"What is your course?" Mei enquired; suddenly aware of how many questions she was bombarding the twenty-year-old with. "Sorry, I just realised how many questions I am asking."

"That is all right. I am pretty thankful that I have managed not to annoy you with my stories," Reiko grinned. "I study medicine and although it may sound a bit boring, I have always wanted to be a nurse. Almost everyone has told me that I cannot be one because of my lack of sight, so I just strive to succeed even more which is why I am here."

"Actually, a _certain_ doctor has always believed in your abilities, Reiko." Michiko corrected, nudging her friend with her elbow.

Reiko narrowed her glossy eyes into a furious glare that brushed past Michiko's features as she defiantly refused to answer the snide comment.

"How have you been then, Oni?" Reiko asked, ignoring her female comrade with a scowl.

"Fine thank you, nothing of remote interest." He muttered with a monotonous expression spreading across his paper-white visage.

"Are you sure you are _just _fine? Because apparently there was a full moon last night," She prodded playfully, unable to recognise his face contorting together into a sneer. "I am pretty surprised that you are speaking to a new student, I am a little worried that my closest friend is changing."

"Michiko also mentioned how rare it was for Oniyuro to speak to someone like _me_." Mei added with a curious gaze in his direction.

"Shut up the both of you. And do not even dare join in, Michiko," Oniyuro snapped, pointing at the dark-haired rabbit demon to his side before she could mutter a single word. "Well then, now that that conversation is over, what brings you here, Reiko?"

"Bit touchy there are you not, Oni?" Michiko scowled with a knowing smirk before Reiko rolled her pallid eyes, interrupting the argument that was soon to ensue.

"Calm down you two. I am pretty glad I got here sooner rather than later took keep Mei from having to be stuck in the middle of you two hotheads," She scolded the pair in a motherly fashion before answering Oniyuro in a calm, gentle tone. "I am here to do an internship for Semu. He offered me some work experience as a nurse this school year."

"Who is Semu?" Mei questioned after swallowing her final spoonful of porridge and dropping her silver spoon into her bare bowl.

"He is the school doctor for the Saint Monster Academy and has also been recognised by the worldwide monster community for his talents." Reiko replied with a small smile breaking across her rose petal lips.

Michiko felt her knowing smirk grow as she opened her mouth to add on a snide comment before catching her comrade's pleading gaze and sighing in defeat.

"We have Chemistry class next, you could come with the three of us," She stated, earning herself a glance of gratitude from Reiko. "Then afterwards we have physical education, which I am sure you do not want to endure, so you could then just head to visit Semu and sort out your internship. After that we can all meet back here for dinner."

"I guess that would be okay, Chemistry should not be too bad, always a strong subject for science students." Reiko replied with a nod of approval before continuing to explain her point. "It would also be really nice to see Semu; I have not in years because of the drama that the white crow brought along with her. That and my work load just piled up, there is an immense amount required to be a nurse."

"At least you know what you want to do with yourself in the future and are dead set on achieving it," Mei added with a supportive smile that she forgot the blind demon could not recognise. "I, myself, have no clue what I am going to do tomorrow, let alone in the far future."

"Trust me, Oni and I have no idea what we will do either." Michiko piped before scrambling towards the buffet to retrieve an additional serving of roughage.

Mei watched as the trio continued to eat, Michiko nibbling along various strips of vegetables, Reiko sucking fruits dry before cutting apart the skins to eat, and Oniyuro simply pushing food about his plate in disinterest. She was almost surprised at herself for being so interested in Reiko Izumazi and even enjoying her company as she was a cute, calm, gentle girl, the sort of individual one would expect to find alongside Hiyo Osora. Mei wondered if it was because despite her adorable nature, Reiko was a strong female who had dreams that she would strive to achieve, no matter what others may say.

"Are you ready to go?" Oniyuro's voice broke Mei's train of thought, the trio standing from their seats and waiting for her to join them.

"Yes." She muttered, gathering her bags before scrambling to her feet, her pin-straight raven tumbles pouring about her features as she went.

Oniyuro strolled alongside Reiko, the pair whispering to one another in low voices ahead of the others whilst Michiko stayed by Mei's side for the duration of the journey towards Chemistry.

"I am going to make sure Reiko can reunite with Semu." She broke the silence that had settled between the pair.

Mei raised her eyebrows curiously, folding her arms over her chest whilst eyeing Michiko carefully.

"Why exactly are you telling me this?" She interrogated as Michiko chuckled darkly.

"Well, you see, Mei," She lowered her voice to a whisper, her gaze darting from Mei to Reiko mischievously. "You are going to be a pawn in my little plan."


	9. Chapter 09

**CHAPTER 09**

Mei combed a lock of ebony out of her ivory features, her dark ashen eyes focused on the equipment before her as she collected all her ingredients. Michiko followed suit, setting up her equipment to follow through with the given Chemistry assignment which was to create a potion that would induce whole body shrinkage.

"Now remember students, if your potion is too strong the effects will not wear off easily and if it is too weak they will wear off almost immediately," The professor dictated, strolling about the classroom to ensure all students had the appropriate equipment. "Please handle the ingredients with care as they can be dangerous, often causing irritation on the skin of many monsters."

Mei rolled her eyes before stuffing her hands into a pair of tattered leather gloves, which were perfect for handling unsavoury materials. The professor returned to the front of the room, chatting to Reiko animatedly as she observed the class, offering assistance and guidance where needed.

"Where is Oniyuro?" Mei questioned as she began to boil several liquids upon her countertop, controlling the flames beneath them with ease.

"He rarely comes to class, at least not Chemistry." Michiko replied as she busied herself about her table, gathering items yet barely paying attention to the potion she was making. "You are lucky you saw him yesterday, it is like seeing a blue moon."

"What are you planning then?" Mei muttered, arching an eyebrow at her comrade who shot her a warning glare.

"Do your work or Reiko will hear us," She snapped in a low whisper. "She has the hearing of a... Well you know."

Mei eyed her once more before rolling her eyes and returning her attention to her potion, quickly mixing several liquids together. Silence settled between the pair for some time as Mei worked and Michiko plotted until her voice interrupted the peace and quiet.

"Reiko!" Michiko called, gesturing for her comrade to join them. "I could use some help with my potion."

Reiko smiled at the professor, bidding him farewell before gliding towards the pair with a curious expression upon her attractive visage. As she neared the table, her footing collapsed, threatening to send her backwards as she groped about herself for something to grasp onto. Michiko smirked as Reiko grasped hold of Mei, only to drag her toppling to the floor as well.

As Reiko crashed to the ground alongside Mei, large skeletal-like jet black wings erupted from her shoulder blades, attempting to prevent her from falling as a pair of large bat ears poked through her raven curls alongside her wings. Michiko chuckled at the pair, earning herself a foul glare from Mei before hiding her grin and beckoning for the professor to join them.

"I am so sorry for not keeping my equipment in order." She soothed in a tone of false sincerity.

"Are you two okay?" The professor intercepted, scurrying towards the pair and helping them to their feet.

"I am fi–" Michiko shot Reiko a warning glare before she sighed in defeat much to Michiko's delight. "I _may _have hurt my wing, I would rather be safe than sorry."

"Understandable. Who will take Miss Izumazi to the school doctor?" He exclaimed to the class, unable to leave them unattended to accompany Reiko himself.

"Mei could take her; she has already finished her potion." Michiko stated, dragging Mei to her feet before gesturing towards her potion.

"It is immaculate," The professor admitted as he inspected it before nodding in approval. "We will test it at the end of class, until then please escort Miss Izumazi to the infirmary, Miss Xiantha."

"Before you go," Michiko grasped Mei's elbow and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Be careful of Semu's abilities, if he gets too _excited _he can turn you to stone with a single glance. Apart from that, have fun."

Mei glared at her before following Reiko from the room with a look of disdain. She folded her arms over her chest as they walked, her lips curling into a scowl at Michiko's behaviour.

"I am sorry about Michiko; she can be a bit outrageous sometimes." Reiko piped, wrapping her arms about her waist to hug her dainty form. "But she does have the best of intentions at heart."

"I know," Mei admitted before sighing in defeat, the scowl vanishing from her features. "I just did not want to be involved in her outrageous behaviour, but now that I am, tell me about the school doctor."

"Oh, Semu is wonderful. He is really talented, even his monster type is magnificent. It is almost akin to having a celebrity in the staff, he even knows many famous monsters from all over the world," She replied with an expression of adoration spreading across her features before she blushed deep crimson. "I may not have been able to see him physically, but I have known since the moment I met him that he is beautiful for his heart is absolutely perfect."

"Are you and Semu toge–"

"–No," Reiko interrupted quickly with a crooked smile to hide her embarrassment. "Seeing as you have been given the opportunity to ask me several questions, I was wondering if I could ask you one."

"Go ahead." Mei said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I suppose it is more of a general wondering than a question, but I was hoping you could tell me about your family, the Xiantha Clan." She mumbled, her defocused gaze remaining on the hallway before them to ensure she did not collide with anything.

"Well, I suppose there is not much I can say that you do not know already," Mei replied honestly before scrunching her features together in concentration. "We _are _a clan of godai monsters, but the abilities are only present in females, making us the superiors of the clan. As implied by my last name, I am part of the leading family and my grandmother is the Xiantha author. My parents were in line to be the leaders of the clan following the death of the previous leader, but they passed away before they could."

"Who is the leader now?" Reiko asked with interest.

"My aunt, I do not really know her. I have been with my grandmother for quite some time," She admitted before shrugging her shoulders gently. "What about yourself? What is your family like?"

"Well, our clan consists of purebred vampire bat demons from what I have been told by Oba-san, but I barely have any memories of them," Reiko's voice dropped as she recalled her gloomy past. "I was rejected by the clan when my sight did not develop, my own parents could not bring themselves to love me. Only problem is an infant bat demon cannot survive a long time on its own and I can only imagine that I would not have survived if it were not for Oba-san."

"Who is Oba-san?"

"Oba-san is a vampire, she barely even looks middle-aged yet she is almost one hundred years old," Reiko smiled fondly. "I should be thankful for her age though, she could see my potential immediately in spite of my disability."

"I was not aware that vampires would accept anyone outside of their race?" Mei mumbled, brushing her dark slanted bangs out of her eyes as she watched Reiko inquisitively, awaiting an answer.

"I was not aware of that either, I was actually fairly terrified of Oba-san when I first met her," She replied as they rounded a corner into the corridor that led directly to the Hospital Wing. "I think for my species, the most important thing is survival, only the superior can be supported by the clan in order to maintain our strength. I read that there are even battles between adolescents to weed out the weaker ones.

"Whereas Oba-san says that for vampires instead of clans you mainly have families, it is far more collectivist and almost compassionate, although that is a strange idea to associate with a vampire. If you look at the Bradfords, L becomes quite weak and is physically inferior yet his family cares deeply for him and supports him regardless. Also J and K are half human, yet L cares for them and the trio stand by one another in spite of what others may say."

"How admirable." Mei muttered sarcastically.

"They are not so bad; L seems to be a bit obsessive over Hiyo Osora," Reiko stated, running a hand through her dark curls. "But his cousins are pretty sweet; a lot of people are put off of them though because they are only half monster. I guess that there is an upside to Hiyo being here as a lot of us are becoming more accepting of unions between monsters and humans."

The conversation was quickly cut short as the duo reached a pair of towering iron doors that squeaked open, anticipating their arrival. The waiting room opened up before them with cream-coloured walls and shimmering French windows, a coffee table sitting in the centre with plush chairs dotted about it, decorated in a collection of adorable stuffed animal toys. A feminine skeleton appeared, scurrying towards the pair curiously, her figure drenched in a pallid nurse uniform.

"Good morning," She chimed in a harmonic voice. "How can I help you two?"

"This is Reiko Izumazi," Mei gently nudged Reiko forward, gesturing from the nurse to her. "She was observing our Chemistry class and had an accident; she may have damaged one of her wings. We thought as she was already scheduled to meet Semu after Chemistry, she might as well be safe and check that nothing was damaged by her fall."

"It is lovely to see you again Miss Izumazi," The nurse greeted Reiko before guiding her towards one of the chairs. "You should not have to wait too long to see the doctor, if you need anything just call for me."

"Thank you." She replied in a soft voice, taking the chair the nurse had guided her to.

"I do not think you need me from here on. I will see you at dinner." Mei chimed, bidding Reiko farewell before turning on her heel and exiting the office, leaving her comrade to await the doctor's arrival.

* * *

Reiko waited patiently in the pale room for some time, sipping a steaming cup of freshly brewed tea as the animated stuffed toys busied themselves about her, ensuring all her needs were met until their master arrived. She nervously combed her fingers through her hair, gently moving it to frame her attractive features in lustrous spirals, desperate for the ability to check her appearance in a mirror, to ensure she looked her best. She ruffled her hands through her straight-across bangs, fluffing them about her curved, thin eyebrows and pallid ceil blue orbs that stared off into the distance.

"I will be with the patient in a minute," Suddenly a masculine voice erupted through the Hospital Wing, Reiko's ears perking up and recognising it immediately despite their years apart. "Who am I seeing today?

"Reiko Izumazi, she is visiting from the Saint Monster university campus and had an accident whilst observing a class." As the nurse explained the situation, Reiko could hear excited footsteps pad across the floor, the doors leading from the office to the waiting room swinging open eagerly.

"I am desperate to see how my prodigy has grown up." Semu's childlike voice hummed over her as he emerged from the office, his large dark chocolate eyes darting about the room with thrill.

His adolescent form was barely the height of a pubescent female, his young slender figure drenched in ivory robes beneath his lab coat that hung from his shoulders loosely. His ruffled golden hair bounced about his adorable visage as he bounded into the waiting room with a wide, toothy grin that Reiko could identify just by his overexcited presence.

"Good morning Semu." She chimed gently, waving her dainty hand in greeting.

Semu felt his eyes widen as they settled on the petite, ballerina figure that was perched before him, a warm smile spreading across her soft, cherry blossom-coloured lips. As his heart pounded in his chest sporadically his figure began to contort, his robes tearing as he grew into his true form. The nurse groaned in irritation from the office and scrambled into the room, a pot of boiling water in her clutches.

"That is not necessary; you forget that Miss Izumazi is blind," Semu beamed, a smirk breaking out across his handsome features which were framed by a bundle of golden locks. "And she has grown up so very well."

"How have you been, Semu?" Reiko enquired in a melodic voice that encapsulated him as he took the seat across from her, not bothered by his torn clothing.

"Quite well, my number of patients steadily increased following the arrival of the white crow," He murmured gently whilst tracing her expression with his shimmering eyes, her eyebrows arched curiously about her clouded over eyes, vanishing slightly beneath her thick fringe as she pressed her lips together into a wider smile, clearly enjoying his company. "And yourself? You are still a beautiful young woman."

"I-I-I wanted to thank you for your support of me." She struggled to organise her thoughts, her crimson cheeks exposing her embarrassment over the comment.

"Would you like me to check over you to ensure you are not injured then?" He piped, sweeping around the table to her side eagerly.

"I-i-it was just my wing." She mumbled, holding out her hands to find his body mere centimetres from hers.

"Why don't you show me it?" He whispered, his hot breath tickling over her subtle flesh as he grasped hold of her hands, guiding them over his torso to his face.

Reiko felt the buds of her fingertips brush over his handsome features, revealing to herself his perfectly moulded true form. Her breath caught in her throat at his beauty, retracting her hands quickly to her lap as her face only continued to redden nervously. Semu smirked, tearing the chair out from beneath her and pinning her to the ground in one swift movement of his well-built body. He pressed his lips to her forehead before whispering to her in a sultry voice.

"I have missed you, Reiko."

Reiko stumbled over her words in confusion, her head swarming with a chaotic blur of thoughts as she attempted to register what was happening as reality. Semu entangled his fingers through curls of her hair, stroking the bud of his thumb over her ear gently as she continued to gawk at him in disbelief.

"Well, as long as you are going to be _my _nurse," He murmured, her flesh electrifying underneath his touch. "You will wear a _special _uniform for me."


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Mei struggled to change out of her uniform in the miniscule cubical at the far end of the female changing rooms. Michiko groaned in irritation over the physical lesson to come, fumbling in the cubical next to her comrade's whilst cursing under her breath.

"I hate physical education." She snapped through the thin wall dividing the chambers.

"I hate these uniforms." Mei returned after finally wriggling free of her school uniform and retrieving her sports one from her duffle bag.

"How was Reiko when you dropped her off at the Hospital Wing?" Michiko enquired as she smoothed her uniform about her curvaceous figure. "I wonder how everything went between her and Semu."

"She seemed all right, just a bit nervous. The nurse surprised me a bit; I was not expecting a skeleton." Mei admitted, tugging on the top of her uniform before stuffing her feet into a pair of worn out, knee-high converse.

"I probably should have warned you about her too," Michiko chuckled before pressing the door to her cubicle open and sauntering over to Mei's, tapping her knuckles over it impatiently. "Come on; finish up so we can head into the fires of Hell already."

"Because that sounds so very appealing," She retorted in a tone of sarcasm before stuffing her school uniform into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "Now keep your knickers on, I am ready."

Mei tugged the door open and stalked out of the changing cubicle, eyeing Michiko from head to toe curiously. Her dark violet hair was pulled back into a bundle of curls falling down her curved back, held in place by an elastic tie with several straightened strands falling free to frame her attractive face. Her tall raven rabbit ears poked out of her tied back hair, the piercings across the lobes filled by silver rings and studs. Her compulsory ivory shirt clung to her well-developed chest before falling loose about her flat stomach, her name printed across the bosom in bold ebony letters. Her hands were slipped into a pair of fingerless, black lace gloves and her feet were cupped by old trainers hidden beneath loose-fitting dark lavender leg warmers.

Michiko tugged at the hem of her shirt uncomfortably, attempting to cover the required jet black shorts that were tiny enough to be bikini bottoms. As she struggled with her ill-fitting shirt about her curves, her dark amethyst eyes darted towards Mei, absorbing her appearance.

"Well," She grinned in approval. "Don't you look lovely, Mei?"

* * *

The pair of girls approached the volleyball field, their arm linked through one another's as they chatted to each other animatedly. Oniyuro sat tucked away in the shade of a towering oak tree, dressed happily out of uniform. His tall figure was drenched in an ebony long-sleeved shirt, similarly coloured slacks, and a pair of combat boots, his slacks adorned with shimmering silver chains. His narrowed golden eyes darted up to greet his comrades before his cheeks blushed deep scarlet at Mei's appearance.

Mei's altered compulsory paper-white top hung freely from her shoulders, brushing just over her ample bosom before falling loosely about the remainder of her torso, the hem cutting just below her mid-thigh. The shoulders were far too large, falling down her upper arm as the short sleeves stretched to her elbows, appropriately covering up her voluptuous body. Her pin-straight locks fell free of any ties to bounce about her figure, her calves encased in knee-high raven converse tied with bright persimmon orange shoelaces.

Oniyuro quickly bowed his head, shadowing his reaction beneath his dark, lopsided hair as he cursed his body for its revolting reaction. Michiko eyed him suspiciously before smirking at his expense and whispering to Mei mischievously.

"Good afternoon, Oni," She chimed in a sing-song voice that earned her a murderous glare from the sour-faced male. "Enjoying the view?"

"Excuse me?" Mei blurted in confusion only to be waved off by Michiko, much to her irritation.

"Nothing, Michiko is just being an imbecile," Oniyuro snapped furiously before glancing at her altered uniform. "I was just surprised, most girls revel in their ability to wear barely anything and have most of the moronic male population drool over them."

"I am not most girls." Mei corrected with a playful smile before Kurou called for the attention of all students, his handsome face pulling into a wide grin.

"All right then, the captains have been chosen. They will be Jiro and I," He announced. "Hiyo will be on my team and Yuki on Jiro's."

Kurou continued to name off the teams before pointing towards Mei and Michiko, commanding them to join his team before instructing Oniyuro to join the opposition. He simply glared darkly at both captains as if he were wishing them to drop dead on the spot whilst the pair of females reluctantly complied with looks of fury.

"Welcome to the team." Hiyo beamed, bubbling over with laughter as she greeted the pair.

Michiko ignored the irritating blonde, her lavender eyes instead darting towards the opposition as the fuchsia-haired Tamaki sisters fawned about the male members of the team. Ayaki latched onto Jiro, clinging to his athletic figure tightly as he stared at her with wide eyes of disbelief towards her scantily clad figure.

"You have a great friend there." Mei mumbled with a roll of her glistening ashen orbs once she had finally escaped Hiyo's clutches.

"She is _not _my friend!" Michiko shrieked far louder than she intended, furious jealousy exploding about her veins as she stared at her beloved and the bubblegum pink-haired Ayaki. "I wish she would drop dead on the spot."

"If only." Mei squeezed her friend's arm supportively before the pair set off on a warm up run alongside their teammates.

Kurou began allocating positions to several teammates, gesturing many males into superior roles with a smug smirk.

"Hiyo, you can stay by _my _side," He murmured sultrily, tugging Hiyo to his figure with his arm tight around her miniature waist. "Michiko Shimizu, take the forward position."

"Forget it." She snapped angrily, her figure shrinking into a dark violet, almost raven rabbit with large ivory eyes.

Her rabbit form scurried into the shade, perching herself alongside Oniyuro who arched an eyebrow at her before returning his attention to the tattered, leather-bound book in his clutches. Mei smiled at her comrades, moving as if to join them before a high-pitched voice interrupted her.

"Why don't you put Mei Xiantha in that position? I am sure she would be wonderful at volleyball," Hiyo chimed, her sparkling bright azure blue eyes staring at Mei excitedly. "And I would love for her to play with us."

"I think I would rather kill myself," She snapped lividly before reluctantly stalking towards the position. "Although I guess I should take the opportunity to show your little sexist partner that I _am _wonderful at volleyball even if I am girl. In fact I will be far better than him."

Her pallid lips folded into a smug smirk as she crouched forward in preparation. The game began immediately, the feeble ivory sphere hurtling back and forth, each side refusing to allow any points to be gained. As Mei slammed her fist against the pitiful sphere, sending it throttling towards Ayaki, a voice interrupted the players.

"Afternoon Kurou," The masculine voice snapped in a tone of false sincerity as a shadow loomed over the court before the male's voice became soft and sweet. "And the same to you Hiyo, you look as adorable as ever."

"Point to us," Mei intercepted with a wider smirk, gesturing towards the ball that rested in the court of the baffled opposition. "I guess since you are all busy, we will call this a break."

"Hey!" Jiro exclaimed, breaking from his trance to glare at her furiously. "That does not count; there was an interruption, a non-player on the court."

"You are just a sore loser." She snapped, whipping her nose into the air and marching towards her comrades who were slumped against the wide trunk of an oak tree.

"Haine, what do you want?" Kurou snarled as Mei listened over her shoulder with limited interest.

"I am fairly sure you know the answer by now, or are you getting a bit slow?" The intruder assumed to be Haine retorted before slinging his arm around Hiyo's petite shoulders. "I am here to challenge you for my beloved Hiyo."

"Why is everyone so interested in that imbecilic little pest?" Mei muttered venomously as she reached her companions, leaning her back against the trunk with her arms folded over her chest in irritation.

"Not everyone," Oniyuro corrected in a matter-of-fact tone. "Only other imbeciles find her so very attractive."

"Then is this a normal occurrence? Having a random irritant appear in the middle of a lesson to battle for her love?" She snapped, narrowing her eyes at the shadowed crow demon that stood with his back to her as he exchanged snide comments with Hiyo's overprotective husband. "Despite the fact that she is now married?"

"It is pretty normal now," Oniyuro explained with a sluggish shrug of his shoulders. "It is not always during a lesson, but it is always an interruption by an irritant. As I said though, only imbeciles chase after her who clearly have no knowledge of how a marriage union works."

"How wonderful, more reasons for me to want to murder someone." She growled lividly, curling her hands into fists as she eyed the commotion curiously.

Suddenly she felt her flecked eyes widen in disbelief as a jet black crow fluttered towards the demon, its feathers fluffed about its slender body jovially. She stared at the curling feather that sprung up from the top of the crow's head as he rubbed his persimmon tinged gold beak against the crow monster.

"I... I think that crow may have slept in my bed last night." She mumbled in a low tone as she continued to gape in bewilderment.

"What?" Oniyuro snapped his head whipping from the crow demon to her with puzzlement before he simply gawked at her in shock

"Not the crow monster, I am not _that _kind of girl." She spat with a roll of her eyes, a frown breaking across her lips. "I meant the actual crow, as in the animal. You know the bird?"

"Yes, yes, sorry. What else was I supposed to think? It is not as if having a bird sleep in your room is more likely than an actual person." He muttered with a pout, folding his slender arms over his torso and slouching.

"Do not sit there and sulk, Oni," Michiko snarled as she transformed back into her humanoid form before arching an eyebrow at Mei. "As for you, Mei, you really should not be letting strange animals into your room."

"Do not lecture me–"

"Well, too bad, I am going to lecture you," She interrupted before continuing on her rant. "That crow is Carl, a life companion to Maboroshidou Haine, a crow monster you do not want to be involved with. Haine _was _the head of the student union at the Hyakki Academy in the year above Kurou, making them sworn rivals as the Hyakki Academy and the Saint Monster Academy are academic rivals. And then you will never guess who got involved in it all, our little friend Hiyo.

"Soon after Haine decided he loved her and had to come and interrupt our daily routines to be with her. It probably did not help his devotion when she continued to fall head over heels for him whenever he called her cute and she supposedly even ran away with him to the human world. I guess you cannot really blame the moron for being drawn in, but do not feel remotely bad for him. Apart from his love of Hiyo, he is a womaniser. He honestly ploughs his way through women like a tractor over farm land, which is surprising as he is half human. _And _you should know that Carl is _always _with Haine, so if the crow creature was in your room, his crow monster was no doubt close by."

"You mean that man was in or around my..." Mei murmured before Michiko's smug nodding sent her sentence trailing off.

Suddenly her eyebrows knitted together over her dark eyes, narrowing them into furious slits as her lips curled into a snarl. She slammed the heel of her foot into the ground, sending a finite wave of vibrations over the earth, charging towards the volleyball before shooting it into the air, sending it throttling towards the stranger.

"You are a filthy pervert!" Mei snapped loudly as the sphere slammed into his head, causing him to stumble back in a daze of confusion. "Give me the crow back, anything that goes into _my_ room becomes _my _property. Besides, you should be taught a lesson for lusting around the rooms of young girls."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

He stood tall, raven-coloured slacks clinging tightly to his long legs, adorned with a single silver chain, the brim falling slightly loose about his hips before being fixed down with an ebony leather belt. His well-built torso was slipped into a loose collared shirt of an ivory colour, a few buttons left undone to expose his milky white, defined chest. Ashen hued, pale chocolate hair fell about his handsome face in a wispy mop that crashed along his neck, around which a black thread was slung, with shorter strands of hair framing his visage perfectly.

Haine raised an eyebrow at Mei's furious expression, his narrowed grey eyes decorated with highlights of brilliant gold. He folded his toned arms over his chest, the corner of his finely shaped lips moulding into a smirk.

"You must be the one who stole Carl then," He mused, stroking his fingers over the crow's body as the animal perched himself upon his owner's shoulder. "I _was _expecting someone cuter with his taste."

"Sorry to disappoint you. Either way, I did not steal him, he came to me," Mei snapped, blowing the stray strands of ebony that continued to fall over her fuming features. "And what kind of name is Carl? You have clearly been torturing the poor thing."

"Carl is a brilliant name and he likes it," Haine challenged with a roll of his eyes. "Carl suits him perfectly, just look at his curl."

She snorted in disbelief before pointing a finger towards Carl himself.

"Fine, he can choose who he prefers and then you can leave me alone," She hissed sourly before smirking smugly. "And you will see that you are wrong, the poor tormented creature will jump at the opportunity to escape a person like you."

"You are clearly delusional," He snarled before returning her smirk and gesturing from himself to her. "Go ahead then Carl, choose one of us and snap this little girl back into reality."

Mei glared at him darkly, desiring to plough her fist through his face for dismissing her in such a way. Suddenly, a blur of raven fluttered towards her, resting itself upon her slim shoulder with a piercing caw that broke Mei from her haze of fury. Her eyes darted from the crow, dubbed Carl, to Haine's bewildered expression, his eyes now wide with disbelief as his jaw hung open.

"Well I guess that settles that." She exclaimed in triumph, her smirk becoming a wide smile of victory.

"What a perverted crow." Hiyo's harmonic voice sang as she leant towards Kurou, trying–and failing–to whisper to him quietly.

"Yes, Haine is." He snapped snidely, smirking proudly over retort.

"Actually, I meant Carl–"

"I know you meant him." Kurou seethed with irritation over Hiyo's dismissal of his insult, his expression falling deadpan as he interrupted her.

"The both of you can shut up and get back to the game," Mei intercepted, chucking the pallid volleyball towards them before stalking back to where her comrades sat. "I am taking my break now as you have already gone and taken your own."

As she turned to face her friends, leaving the married couple to return to the volleyball match, Oniyuro's shimmering eyes were narrowed into dark slits, his teeth gritted together tightly as he glared at Haine with venom.

"Are you okay?" Mei blurted in confusion, Michiko quickly elbowing the boy at her side to snap him from his trance of murderous fury before he nodded with a weak smile. "I am seriously sick of gym class already."

"How could you? I cannot believe you chose a girl over _me_, you pervert." Haine hollered, finally registering what had just happened.

"Do not be a sore loser, it is not remotely attractive." She snarled with a roll of her eyes.

"Do not get too comfortable, he will come back to me soon, I am his true owner," He hissed before his tone became smooth, filled with coy charisma. "Although I understand his choice, you are _somewhat_ a cute one."

Mei's hands quickly bunched together into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she whipped around on her heel, glaring at the crow monster murderously. A smile broke across Oniyuro's gaunt features in dark delight of the violence to come, blissfully ignoring Michiko's suspicious gaze as he watched Mei hurtle a blast of bright scarlet flames towards Haine. She moved quickly, crumbling the earth beneath his feet with a flick of her wrist, sending a cloud of thick dust into the air.

"What kind of monster is she?" Haine gawked in confusion, appearing in the air above the commotion with large, dark grey wings emerging from his back to suspend him in flight.

"I know!" Hiyo exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement, distracting Haine from the task at hand with her adorable nature. "She is a godai monster from the Xiantha clan. Yuki told us."

"Believe it or not, the little airhead actually got one right." Mei sneered, appearing mere inches from Haine as she manipulated the air about her figure, creating lift to hold her in flight.

Her eyebrows knitted together tightly, narrowing her eyes darkly as she pressed the tips of her fingers to the slither of bare flesh exposed by his unbuttoned shirt. He did not move, instead staring at her in confusion, yet without a single flash of fear, much to her aggravation.

"The human body is to a large degree water," She mused threateningly, her eyes focused on the beating of his heart as if she were to stop it on the spot. "Your blood, or rather your plasma, is over ninety seven percent water. That means, in case you do not have the mental capacity to figure it out yourself, I can control and manipulate your little body, I can drown you from the inside out or starve you of all water in the blink of an eye. So I would not cross me again."

Mei smirked as she awaited his expression to become drenched in fear followed by a whimpering of defeat. But no such reaction came, instead a smirk broke out across his lips as he took hold of her hand gently, moving it from his flesh with calm ease.

"I am glad we had this little meeting," He murmured seductively, watching as her expression now became drowned in shock, her voice unable to form. "It is fascinating to find a godai here at _this _school. I suppose you were not sufficient material to attend the Hyakki Academy."

"Fuck off." Mei snapped immediately, breaking herself from his trance as she tore her hand free from his.

"Come on, Mei, you can kick that prat's arse any time," Michiko's voice broke the dark tension between the pair. "Right now, I am hungry and want to go to dinner so get your arse down here and come on."

Mei quickly lowered herself to the ground on Michiko's request, folding her arms over her chest with a purse of her lips into a pout of sulking. Haine simply chuckled, eyeing Michiko with an alluring gaze before smirking once more.

"Your friend is truly beautiful as well," He murmured in a deep, melodic voice. "But I think I prefer you, Mei Xiantha."

Noticing Mei's growing fury that Michiko's whining could no longer suppress, Haine sighed in defeat, shrugging his shoulders before whistling for Carl to join him. The crow reluctantly complied with its owner, fluttering towards him as the monster halted momentarily, glancing over his shoulder at Mei.

"You may want to know that the entire gym class has seen up your shirt today," He sneered with a lewd leer. "But I am not complaining."

* * *

Mei ignored the many curious stares fixated on her as she pushed her meal of roasted pork, egg noodles, and vegetables about her bowl with a spoon in disinterest, her mind swarming with shrieks of fury over what had occurred.

"You should eat." Oniyuro's deep mumble broke Mei from her imagination, the image of her pulverising Haine into a whimpering mess evaporating immediately.

She shrugged weakly before scooping up a spoonful of her dish and eating it slowly, finding her appetite had long since vanished, instead replaced with embarrassment and a desire for vengeance. Oniyuro watched her carefully as he eat his slab of steak that was barely even cooked, the rare meat filled with scarlet liquid that he lapped up hungrily. Michiko nibbled away at her roughage, easily satisfying her growing hunger and earning herself several jealous gazes at her ability to eat anything and not gain a single pound.

Mei dropped her cutlery into the bowl before folding her hands into a platform on which to rest her chin, her elbows propped up onto the table surface. She pursed her lips together, mentally scolding herself for her inability to take her mind off of the crow demon and the fiery rage that erupted through her veins at the mere thought of him. She cursed herself for the tingling that still vibrated about her fingertips from the feel of his soft flesh, the tingles growing into a comforting warmth that captivated her fingers. She shook the thought from her head before scowling angrily to herself, once again becoming consumed by the want to wipe that smug grin off of his face permanently.

Suddenly the sound of Oniyuro choking on a mouthful of food shrieked into life, his eyes wide with shock and focused on the doorway as Reiko scurried into the cafeteria, greeted by many lustful stares from the males all about the room. Michiko joined the bewildered stares of the females as Mei reluctantly followed the gazes towards her newfound comrade who was collecting ripened fruit from the buffet with bright crimson cheeks that exposed her embarrassment.

Reiko's dainty, petite figure was encased in a skin-tight, buttoned up ivory nurse's dress that enhanced her curves, the skirt of the dress ending just above her mid-thigh to expose her perfectly shaped legs which were hugged by a pair of white, lacy stockings that reached her thigh to be held in place by similarly coloured suspenders that vanished under the hem of her dress. Her feet were slipped into a pair of white, shimmering vinyl Mary Jane platforms that increased her diminished height dramatically, additionally an apron was wrapped around her waist and a stethoscope slung around her neck. Finally, a nurse's hat with a small raven cross on the front was tucked into her ebony curls, completing her incredibly revealing uniform that entranced men like flies to a high wattage light bulb.

"I think I want to kill myself," Oniyuro muttered, his expression becoming deadpan as he dropped his head to the desk with a scowl. "At least more so than usual."

"I guess she had fun with Semu," Michiko smirked, ignoring her comrade's sour complaints before calling Reiko's name. "And do not be such a prude, Oni."

"Well I am not going to support this behaviour." He snapped back venomously as Reiko scrambled towards them, her heightened hearing pinpointing their position with ease.

Her heels clicked over the tiled floor rhythmically, echoing through the room as all eyes remained on her, as if her scurrying tune hypnotised them to her presence. She quickly took a seat between Mei and Michiko, her embarrassment clearly growing as she attempted to pull down the hem of the dress without revealing too much of her bust.

"Do not pretend you did not have any fun with your Semu." Michiko piped with a smirk.

"He is not _my _Semu," She mumbled, blushing further as her dark raven bat ears suddenly appeared, poking out through her dark spirals of hair. "We worked hard and professionally."

"Oh really?" Michiko teased as Oniyuro growled once more to himself, silently begging for Michiko to cease her questioning, bile clawing at the back of his throat at the image of the school doctor defiling his closest comrade. "Well it appears your little ears think otherwise."


	12. Chapter 12

Wow, I have not written for a while. ^^ Oh well. Hopefully I'll pick up the slack, silly exams keeping me busy.

* * *

**CHAPTER 12**

Mei glared about the cafeteria, battling off the perverse gazes that drooled over Reiko in awe of her revealing nurse's uniform.

"These boys should really stop staring at you, Reiko," She snapped furiously, finally overcome with irritation over the males treating her newfound companion like a piece of meat. "No matter what, they are little pathetic boys who do not have a chance in Hell of being with you."

Reiko's fair cheeks blushed deep scarlet as a pair of twitching bat ears suddenly poked out through her raven spiral, exposing her embarrassment to the many swooning onlookers. She mustered up a crooked smile, bobbing her head into a soft nod of agreement before hanging her head nervously, attempting to hide herself beneath her mane of lustrous curls.

"Don't worry," Michiko cooed, rubbing her comrade's ivory satin encased back supportively. "You _do _look seriously hot though."

"Michiko." Oniyuro groaned furiously, slamming his head down on the tabletop in irritation.

"Finish your rabbit food," Mei hissed whilst Michiko simply stuck her tongue out in response before her plump, wine lips curled into a pout. "How was your day then, Reiko?"

"It was all right, I just spent it in the Hospital Wing and Semu simply helped me find my way around the wing," She replied before her small smile returned, her entire visage turning a shy, bright scarlet. "It was _really _wonderful to see him again, I have really missed him."

"Have you now?" Michiko beamed mischeviously.

"Y-y-yes," She stuttered, fearful of anyone embarrassment as she quickly returned the enquiry to the others. "What about you three, how was your day? Why is Oni so down?"

"How do you even know he is? Is he not _always_ this way?" Mei piped, feeling Oniyuro's bright gold eyes glare at her as if he were trying to burn a hole straight through her milky white features.

"Well," Reiko replied with a harmonic giggle that instantly relaxed the male's glare. "He has not made a rude comment about my _odd _uniform yet when usually he would be demanding that I remove it and preparing to tear Semu's head off, especially considering he was in such a good mood this morning."

"I am never in a good mood." He snarled, pushing his plate away in disinterest and burying his head in his arms once more which were folded neatly on the clothed tabletop.

"Just eat your food, _Oni_," Michiko retorted, her voice becoming a mocking sing-song tone as his childish nickname rolled off her tongue. "He is just upset because we have an unexpected visitor during gym class."

"Visitor? One of the Saint Monster university students?"

"You mean one of the Devil's advocates." Mei snarled her blood boiling in her veins at the mere thought of the infuriating intruder as her hands clenched into tight fists.

"She has a point," Michiko explained, pointing the end of her silver fork towards Mei before retelling the tale. "Haine interrupted our lesson to fight for the ownership of Hiyo as a romantic partner, as you do. However, it turns out our little Mei has been welcoming strange birds into her room, including Haine's crow. So naturally, she gave him a good smack around and he was a rude little irritant, as per usual."

As Michiko finished her explanation, Oniyuro curled his spidery fingers around the edge of the feeble table if he were to snap it into pieces at any second, fury bubbling up within him as bile clawed at the back of his throat. He barely managed to contain himself from the trio of females, hiding his rage beneath his lopsided mop of hair.

"Really?" Reiko gawked in disbelief before turning towards Mei, her clouded over eyes staring passed her face, defocused, yet her voice remained serious. "Do not even consider humouring Maboroshidou Haine, he is quite the charmer. He made his way around the girls at the Hyakki Academy with ease, making him quite the well-known character even at the Saint Monster University. Just be careful around him."

"Trust me, Reiko, I have no desire to see that thing again," Mei replied, pursing her lips together into a smirk. "In fact, I rather hope he suffers a horrific accident, rendering him incapable of movement. Then, when he least expects it, I can beat the living daylights out of him without hesitation."

Oniyuro's head snapped up, his thin lips curling into a sickly smile of approval as she continued.

"But until that happens, I would rather forget today before I end up punching a hole through this table."

Before Reiko could prod further to protect her comrades from the womanising Maboroshidou Haine, the doors to the cafeteria whipped open. Whispers erupted across the room, mixed with gasps of fright and various squeaks of adoration as a small child scrambled through the room. His mop of golden hair bounced about his adorable face as he desperately searched for a familiar ballerina figure framed by a waterfall of dark curls.

"Semu," Hiyo's voice sliced through the hum of curious whispers. "What are you looking for?"

"Dear Hiyo, I am searching for Miss Reiko Izumazi." His high-pitched voice exclaimed melodically as Reiko listened in intently.

"You might want to know he has not transformed in the slightest at the sight of Hiyo." Michiko whispered to her comrade with a wide, toothy grin.

"I think she is over there." Hiyo's squeaking voice drew the attention of the table as her dainty hand pointed towards them, the doctor's dark chocolate eyes widening with excitement at the sight of Reiko.

"Not again, Semu, please." His skeletal nurse exclaimed as his body began to grow and everything fell pitch black about Mei's unsuspecting figure.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" She snapped as the sound of feet padding towards them greeted her.

"Good evening, Reiko," The childlike voice of Semu was now deep and alluring as he loomed over the table. "Students, you may uncover your eyes, I have come prepared."

Suddenly, light returned to Mei's vision as Oniyuro reluctantly drew his hand from her features, peeling his eyes open as well. Semu's figure leant over Reiko, one of his hands slammed on the table top as the other was holding a wriggling sapphire blue teddy bear. His attractive face was mere millimetres from the dainty girl before him, his hot breath tickling over her soft flesh as his ruffled mop of hair crashed about his visage. His eyes were tucked safely behind a pair of darkened glasses, hiding his paralysing orbs behind a wall of darkness.

"I guess Semu is an adult now." Reiko giggled, lifting up her hand to trace his handsome features with the soft buds of her miniature fingers.

"Yes." Michiko muttered as she reluctantly tugged her dark amethyst eyes open.

"I thought it would be a good time to test out a pair of blackened lenses that remained transparent enough for me to see, save my nurse from doing so much work," Semu stated with a chuckle gesturing towards the sulking skeleton before his well-shaped lips moulding into a captivating grin. "Besides, I was desperate to see my little Reiko again, I have missed her greatly."

"It has barely been an hour." Oniyuro muttered with a murderous glare.

"It is lovely to see you again, Miss Izumazi," The nurse piped, greeting Reiko with a kind tone of voice that was rarely ever present when Semu was in his adult form. "I was just discussing the schedule for tomorrow with Semu."

"It is lovely to see you too," Reiko replied with a smile returning to her cherry blossom lips. "This is Mei Xiantha, the transfer. I assume you know Oniyuro and Michiko already."

"Of course, as a doctor it is important to be aware of the history of any possible patients," He explained proudly before glancing towards Mei and holding out his hand. "It is nice to meet you Miss Xiantha; I am Semu, the school doctor."

"I figured that much out." Mei retorted before shovelling another spoonful of noodles into her mouth.

"Good evening Miss Shimizu and Mister Kuroi." Semu greeted the other pair, earning himself a furious, dark glare from Oniyuro.

He sneered, fingering the edge of his sunglasses as if he were about to tear them from his features as he returned Oniyuro's glare. Suddenly, a bony hand curled around Semu's upper arm, his nurse curling her free hand into a murderous fist.

"Don't you dare, Semu, I am not here to deal with that," She snapped. "Enjoy your meal Reiko and her friends."

Semu reluctantly obeyed as his nurse skipped off before returning his attention to Reiko, crouching down further to run his freehand through her lustrous locks, entangling his fingers through each curl. His lips parted, mere millimetres from her ears as he whispered to her gently.

"You look beautiful in your uniform," He murmured seductively before running his tongue over his lips. "So very _delicious_."

Mei felt her features contort with bewilderment at the couple as he continued to whisper sweet nothings to Reiko, whose cheeks now blushed deep rose, her bat ears clearly poking through her raven mane. She giggled nervously, her dainty figure tensing together in his presence as her breath caught in her throat nervously.

Michiko rolled her eyes and began to chat animatedly to Oniyuro whilst nibbling on several slices of cucumber. Mei dropped her gaze to her plate in embarrassment at her staring at the couple as Semu chuckled melodically, kissing Reiko on the forehead gently. He plopped the teddy bear onto her lap and its manic wriggling ceased immediately, the animated stuffed animal instead crawling into her slender arms lovingly.

"Semu..." Reiko murmured, patting the creature gently as it snuggled into her figure.

"I brought you a present," He beamed with a grin, gesturing towards the teddy bear. "One of my servants to ensure you are always cared for and a piece of me is always with you."

As he ducked towards her, his lips hungry for her own, Reiko nervously bowed her head, her eyes fixated on the teddy bear. His confused lips transformed into a smirk, his lips instead pecking her upon the lip gently. His kisses travelled towards her ear, her face suddenly burning dark beetroot, her figure shuddering nervously as his teeth grazed over her curved lobes.

"I will see you tomorrow, Reiko," He soothed, his words tickling over her nerves. "And don't you worry, I love a challenge."


	13. Chapter 13

Hummm, don't know if I'm incredibly happy with this, but oh well. It seems filler-y.

* * *

**CHAPTER 13**

Oniyuro tugged the shirt of his school uniform from his slim torso with a scowl, revealing the tattoo sprawled across the entirety of his curved back, a collection of broken raven rings forming a gargantuan cross. He quickly whipped the chains splattered across the hem of his black slacks whilst kicking off his unlaced combat boots, his eyebrows knitting together over his narrowed brilliant gold eyes, decorated by a ring of ivory.

His mind was still replaying the events of the day, the sight of the smug visage of Maboroshidou Haine clinging to his imagination as he desired nothing more than to make the crow demon's heart stop on the spot.

_If he even has a heart_. He thought to himself sourly as he abandoned his closet, not particularly bothered about undressing himself any further.

He exhaled deeply, running a hand through his jet black, lopsided mop of hair to smooth out his slanted bangs that now fell to his jaw, covering his left eye completely with a single streak of silver running it. He moved his hand to the back, scowling to himself as he felt several strands poking out through the cropped style that clung to the nape of his neck.

_Great, looks like I will need a haircut soon_. His thoughts snapped furiously. _This day just gets better and better_.

He knew he was not upset because of his need for a trim, even as his thoughts flickered from subject to subject, he could not get rid of the image of the crow demon, of his perverse gaze lingering on Oniyuro's companion. He sighed to himself, running the buds of his fingers over the trio of black hoops decorating his right eyebrow as he stalked towards his bed.

Oniyuro knew why Maboroshidou Haine had aggravated him so much that particular afternoon when for the past two years he never gave the crow a single glance, it was because of _her_; Mei Xiantha. He felt ferocity electrify through his towering body at the sight of another male eyeing up the alluring curves to her hourglass figure, noticeable even under her loose-fitting top.

But, this explanation only served to confuse him even more, it was not the first surprisingly developed figure he had come across, Michiko had always been far more _feminine _than their other classmates. He was not going to lie and say he did not enjoy Michiko's voluptuous figure for all those years, he was fairly sure even Michiko had caught his ogling gaze from time to time, yet somehow he was now transfixed with the transfer student.

Perhaps it was all of her appearance, Oniyuro wanted nothing more than to entangle his fingers through her charcoal locks, to feel her fair flesh against his, to see her large grey eyes decorated by flecks of ebony and slivers silver look up at him with as much adoration as he hid within his own. Or maybe it was more than attraction, maybe it was her snippy, sarcastic attitude, or her strong-willed and stubborn nature. Or was it just her powers? Her ability to manipulate the very elements that made up existence with a single flick of her wrist fascinated him so deeply that he could feel himself begging to see her abilities before his very eyes.

Oniyuro felt his heart sink in his chest at the thought that he was as shallow as the drooling imbeciles that chased Michiko and Reiko around with wide, hungry eyes. It was pathetic to be drawn so closely to someone just because they may finally match him in power. The thoughts evaporated from his mind as he dropped his fingertips from his high cheekbones to his full lips, his nerves electrifying with delight over the sensation that still lingered on his flesh, the sensation of her touch.

Oniyuro had felt his heart skip a beat in his chest as his cold flesh met her heated features, as if he had suddenly felt life jolt back into his veins. Her pulse had pounded against his fingers, a soft rhythmic drumming that made his own heart twitch, he only prayed she could not feel his rapidly increasing heart rate as if he were about to pass out on the spot. Even now, hours later, his heart quickened at the memory of her touch as if it had happened mere moments ago.

A sliver of moonlight poured through the windows, the blinding stream breaking Oniyuro from his thoughts as he glanced up at the previously pitch black sky. The newly formed glistening orb of the moon smiled down at him, his fists now unravelled and his anger evaporated completely. A faint smile formed on his lips as he climbed onto his bed, sitting himself cross-legged and retrieving a gargantuan, leather-bound book from beneath his pillow.

Kuroma quickly scrambled onto the bed, his charcoal black ears perking up as he skipped towards his master with excitement, his tail shaking with anticipation. He scrambled into Oniyuro's lap, snapping his single scarlet eye shut as he settled down. He rubbed his head against Oniyuro's dark slacks, begging for attention as he stretched out his ivory paws, padding them over the open tome.

"You are going to ruin my trousers, Kuroma," Oniyuro murmured to his cat who simply purred louder. He sighed in defeat, rubbing Kuroma's head affectionately as he read. "Although, I guess black-on-black will not do too much harm."

* * *

The morning had come far too quickly for Oniyuro, waking him from his first night of peaceful sleep for many months with a growl. He slipped out of bed sluggishly yet careful not to wake Kuroma before climbing into his uniform and stalking out of the room. He had managed to thread his final chain around his hips as he reached the cafeteria, the nattering of conversations humming within. He rolled his eyes before storming through the doors, ignoring the many fearful stares as he approached the buffet table.

With a few scraps of bacon fried to a crisp resting on his barren plate, Oniyuro turned to face the bustling crowd of students, searching for a pair of familiar raven rabbit ears poking out of a brilliant violet mane. As soon as the thought came to his mind, his golden orbs darted fixed onto the circular table around which his trio of comrades sat, Michiko chatting animatedly away to Reiko who was dressed in her revealing, ivory uniform. Oniyuro felt anger bubble up within him, his hands curling into fists around his plate as he stalked towards the table, the image of their lewd school doctor leering hungrily over Reiko burning in the back of his mind.

It make him feel sick as he walked, his little appetite evaporating completely as the idea of his innocent, heavenly Reiko Izumazi being defiled make him feel like he was about to be sick on the spot. She was the closest thing to family for him and it was his right to protect her from men like Semu, men with revolting thoughts and wandering hands.

"Good morning, Oni." Reiko chimed, breaking his thoughts as he reached the table.

He slammed down his platter, his elfin features pinching into a murderous glare as he slumped into his seat sourly.

"What's wrong with you?" Mei chimed, lifting up her bowed head with a raise of her eyebrows.

Oniyuro's glare instinctively bolted towards the speaker before his expression softened at the sight of her. She looked bizarrely adorable in her school uniform, despite her–and Oniyuro's–hatred of it, her hair tied back loosely with stray strands framing her pallid features that glanced at him curiously, her jaw resting on her curled up fist comfortably. He recognised her inquisitive gaze from the one he received yesterday as their gym lesson was interrupted by an irritating intruder.

Suddenly, his mind flooded with a new image, the image of Mei's figure encapsulated in a loose-fitting shirt that danced along her mid-thighs, only making her that much cuter. He knew if he admitted how adorable her bold nature was to a dark person like himself, she would only become scarlet faced and furious. But that only furthered this opinion of her, like a little kitten that was convinced it was ferocious enough to take on a wolf.

"Stop staring at Mei," Michiko snapped, throttling a sliver of cucumber into Oniyuro's cranium. "It is getting fucking creepy."

"I am _not _staring," He seethed angrily. "Just because I do not want to listen to you blather on about insignificance nonsense or even look at you and make you _think _I am listening, does not mean I am staring at Mei or _anyone_."

"I would shut your mouth right there, Kuroi, or I will rip your tongue out." She snarled darkly.

"Grow up, Shimizu."

"Why don't the pair of you shut up so Reiko and I can enjoy our meals in peace?" Mei intercepted, silencing the bickering comrades furiously. "It is barely eight in the morning and I am in a mood that could kill."

The pair remained silent for the rest of the meal, Oniyuro forcing a look of sulking onto his milky white features as he pushed the food about his plate with his cutlery in disinterest. Part of him wanted to break out into an unfamiliar smile at Mei's forceful nature, her blunt honesty and bizarre bravery to take him on despite knowing him for such a short time. The other part wanted to bicker with her, to itch at her nerves and see how far she would go, to watch her squeak out a high-pitched bark like an erratic puppy.

The sound of chairs scraping over the sleek wooden flooring broke Oniyuro from his fiddling, his meal completely untouched apart from the shifting of it across his plate by his fork. He glanced up at his now standing comrades before shrugging his shoulders and following suit, towering over the trio by over a foot. The walk to Chemistry was brisk, the students wishing nothing more than to rush through the day to get that much closer to the weekend ahead.

"I should get going," Reiko piped in a cheerful tone, her rose petal lips folding into a smile as she halted outside the Chemistry room. "I will find you three later. I do not want to be late for my first day of work."

"Of course not," Michiko smirked widely, arching an eyebrow at her companion. "You would not want to keep Semu waiting."

With a blush and a murmur of farewell, Reiko scurried off, clinging to the wall to ensure she did not collide with any bystanders as she vanished into the horde of grumbling, sleep deprived students. Oniyuro and his friends stalked towards the back of the room, huddling around an abandoned table that no other monster dared to touch; instead they simply stared at the trio with wide, frightened eyes.

"Good morning students," The youthful Chemistry teacher beamed in a deep, harmonic voice. "I trust we have all gotten our full nights of sleep and are now well-rested for the partner project I will be assigning."

"Oh rejoice." Michiko muttered with a roll of her deep amethyst eyes.

"Thank you for your input, Miss Shimizu," He countered with the edge of his lips curling into a smile before he continued. "For the project I would like each pair to brew a potion, _any _potion that we can safely test in the school environment for its accuracy. This means it can be either a potion from class or one you have researched in your free time, additionally as we have limited resources, I have prepared slips for all of you to allow you this weekend away from campus to gather your supplies. Thus you have only a few days to decide on your potion.

"Now, onto the pairs, naturally I will be assigning you to your partner and anyone who is assigned a partner who is a feline monster with the ability to shape change–" His gaze shifted to Maki suspiciously as she simply giggled and shook her head of fuchsia pink waves flirtatiously. "–will be required to create a potion that does not affect physical appearance apart from size, to prevent any form of cheating. Shall I begin the pairing?"

With a few unenthusiastic groans of agreement, the young professor began to recite off names, directing partners to one another. As he reached the K section of the alphabetically organised list of names, Oniyuro's pointed ears perked up curiously as all conversations fell silent, many wide-eyed terrified girls looking as if they might faint on the spot if paired with Oniyuro.

"Ah yes, Oniyuro Kuroi," The professor boomed, glancing over his clipboard with an arch of his eyebrow before reciting off his pairing. "It appears you will be paired with Mei Xiantha."

A sigh of relief spread across the room as a grin broke out across Mei's features, her gaze darting to Oniyuro who struggled to maintain his usual deadpan expression as euphoria raced through his figure.

"I guess I lucked out," She exclaimed before turning to Michiko who now hung her head in despair. "Don't worry, you should be paired with someone all right, at least you will not have to work with Kurou or Hiyo, the professor would not dare split up those two–"

"It appears I have missed a pairing," The professor interrupted with a shy smile before gesturing towards a sapphire-haired Jiro who was bubbling over with laughter over a snide comments from one of his comrades. "Ginjirou Kouya, you will be paired with Michiko Shimizu."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

Michiko combed her hands through her now pin-straight dark violet locks, settling them about her miniature waist neatly before fastening a small black top hat fascinator onto the left of her head, a trim of lace cascading from rim to frame her shimmering locks. She glanced at her floor-length mirror as she finished clipping the item into place, inspecting her reflection carefully. Her raven rabbit ears poked out of her locks neatly, their rims splattered in jet black rings and studs that matched the single stud that was pierced above the left of her upper lip, forming a "Monroe Mole". Her plump lips were hugged by a coat of glossy deep purple whilst her dark amethyst eyes were rimmed in charcoal that flicked out slightly at the corners, making her vibrant orbs almost feline in appearance.

She felt a small smile dance across her porcelain visage at what she had chosen to wear; her voluptuous torso was compressed into an ebony tank top that exposed her extensive cleavage. The front bore a corset design of white ribbon that held the top to her perfect curves and the low neck line was decorated by a line of intricate lace. Her toned legs were slipped into a pair of skin-tight jeans of a dark lavender colour whilst her feet were tucked into jet black, worn-out ballet flats.

"Don't worry," Mei piped from her position on Michiko's bed, her eyes skimming over a book she had snatched from the nearby bookshelf. "You look fine, honestly."

"I just want to look my best." Michiko snapped defensively as she slipped her hands into a pair of laced fingerless gloves.

"For Jiro." Mei corrected, earning herself a murderous glare from her comrade.

Mei's folded legs were compressed into a pair of hazardously ripped black skinny jeans whilst her well-developed chest was hugged by an ebony tank top with a bloody hand printed on the front with a black razor on the palm, the words _Children of Bodom _written above it in intricate grey cursive. Several studded and bullet belts were draped around her hips and her hands were encased in a pair of fingerless black leather gloves. Her slanted bangs swept across her eyebrows neatly, the strip of white that fell through them shimmering jovially whilst the remainder of her fell free to frame her waist in pinpoint straight charcoal locks with several sections tied up in ruffled bunches.

"You cannot penalise me for _this_," Michiko challenged, gesturing towards her own outfit before pointing at Mei's chest. "You are not exactly covered up."

"I have a jacket," She retorted, holding up her raven gothic jacket that was laden in safety pins with ruffled, lace cuffs. "Besides, I do not have a problem with the way you dress; I have a problem with pink."

She thumbed the uniform that hung against the far wall with a scowl that Michiko mirrored.

"Well, if we do not have a problem, we should get going," She stated, glancing at her reflection one last time before turning to face Mei fully. "But, do not stray too far from Oni at the shopping centre, the roads are enchanted and shift very often. Hiyo went missing the first time she went there; it was very chaotic and somehow ended in our Chemistry teacher liplocking with Jiro."

"Excuse me?" Mei blurted in confusion.

"It is a very long story," Michiko mumbled, rolling her eyes at the memory of when she had first heard it. "What I am trying to say is do not get lost as there are some seriously scary freaks out there."

"I am pretty sure I will be hanging out with the scariest person available anyhow, so no one without a death wish would approach Oniyuro and me," Mei said with a chuckle as she pulled on her steel-toed black leather boots, lacing them up carefully. "Besides, I can take care of myself; I think _you_ are just using that as an excuse to hang around Jiro."

"Shut up." Michiko snapped.

"Are you excited?" She enquired, ignoring her companion's demand.

"I suppose," Michiko mumbled innocently, attempting to stop a gleeful smile from breaking out across her fair features. "It is nothing too special."

"Right," Mei smirked before proceeding to tease her. "You _are _excited. Are you going to give him a smooch–?"

"I swear I will murder you on the spot." She growled, storming towards the door with a roll of her eyes.

"Okay, I will stop." Mei chimed, slipping on her jacket before following Michiko out of the room.

As the pair reached the exit from the girls' dormitories, a pair of fuchsia haired siblings stood by the towering French doors, chatting animatedly over their plans for the day.

"Maybe we can get out without Ayaki noticing me–" Michiko began.

"Michiko!" Ayaki squealed, interrupting her as she bounded towards her enthusiastically. "Are you going out with your partner today?"

"We are _not _going out!" She howled furiously, taking the pair of Tamaki siblings aback with her outburst.

"I think she is PMS-ing." Maki snapped.

Ayaki shook her hair of fanciful pink curls at her sister, the locks bouncing about her shoulders, framing her attractive face before her golden eyes returned to Michiko. Her flawlessly shaped body was moulded into a low-cut, raven strapless top that barely covered her midriff alongside a raven and pink plaid miniskirt. A kitten bell attached to a black chiffon ribbon was wrapped around her neck and her full lips were coated in vibrant fuchsia gloss. Maki was dressed similarly, except instead of black and pink, her skirt was a blue and black plaid and her jaw-length locks were tied up in bunches of curls.

"Anyway," Ayaki intercepted as Michiko and Mei attempted to stride passed the pair, slipping her arm through Michiko's possessively. "We should walk together. If only _we _had been paired together, it is so unfair; I wish we could spend time together and ditch our pathetic partners."

"Actually I am fine with my partner." Michiko attempted to explain but Ayaki simply nattered on with a girlish giggle.

"I have been paired with another pathetic little mouse boy," Maki groaned once Ayaki had finished. "I wish I had been paired with a crow, those are who I am destined to marry you see. If only Hiyo's father was not married, then again Haine is truly beautiful, you met him right, Mei?"

"Unfortunately." She muttered through gritted teeth, her hands bunching together into tight fists.

"Well, maybe I will go look for some cute outfits to impress Haine whilst mouse boy finds our ingredients." Maki exclaimed as the four reached a cluster of students waiting to leave for the shopping centre, eager to finish collecting their ingredients.

Oniyuro stalked towards them, glaring murderously at the Tamaki sisters as they squeaked nervously before he turned to Mei. His golden eyes widened as the edge of his full lips curled into a smile.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, barely able to hide the eagerness in his voice.

"Yeah, might as well get our shopping over with," Mei replied, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder before glancing at Michiko. "Do you want us to wait until you find Jiro?"

"I already have," She stated, pointing out a bright sapphire mop of hair through the horde of students before waving to her friends. "I will see you guys later, have fun."

They returned her farewell before she vanished into the crowd, elbowing her way towards her partner as her heart began to pound feverishly against her chest, nervousness overcoming her curvaceous figure once she finally reached him.

Jiro stood tall, towering over her by at least a foot, his neck-length sapphire mop combed out of his handsome face with the back encased in gel to create spikes whilst several bangs feel loose to frame his well-defined. His athletic torso was compressed into a short-sleeved jet black shirt that was moulded to his perfectly chiselled chest whilst his legs were tucked into a pair of worn-out jeans that were slightly loose around his hips, only staying on with the help of a studded belt. Finally, a black collar was threaded around his neck with silver studs dotted along it. Michiko exhaled deeply before allowing a soft smile to spread across her plump violet lips.

"Jiro," She greeted in a cheerful tone, running her thumb under the straps of her raven tote bag. "Are you ready to go?"

Jiro's golden eyes darted towards the rabbit demon's figure, widening in shock as a pair of azure blue wolf ears suddenly poked out of his mop of hair excitedly.

"Wow, Michiko," He gawked, scrambling towards her in disbelief. "You look _amazing_."

* * *

Jiro grasped Michiko's hand, helping her down the steps from the dark windowed herb shop as she tucked away the sack containing their purchases into her tote bag. She grinned at him in appreciation.

"Thank you," She beamed before retrieving a folded up piece of paper from her pocket and glancing at the list printed across it. "It looks like we have all of our ingredients except for Dragon Lily Sap."

"We can get that at the flouriest near the school," Jiro stated, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans as a nervous, crooked smile spread across his lips. "Do you maybe want to get something to eat? We have not had lunch yet and we don't need to get anything else."

"Of course," Michiko replied, bowing her head sheepishly to hide the crimson colour that was gathering on her cheeks. "Should we look around for somewhere to eat?"

"I know a good place to eat," He protested. "Besides, I wouldn't want to separate you and risk losing you in the shopping corridors."

"Lead the way then." She returned with a wider smile as he pressed his hand to the small of her back and guided her towards a quaint cafe tucked away from the buzz of eager shoppers.

The walls of the cafe were encased in intricate black and deep violet wallpaper with dark violet lace curtains clinging to the windows elegantly. The maître de led the pair towards a table in the far corner of dark mahogany, a cloth of black lace draped over the table top with two dark wooden chairs on either end with dark lavender cushions. Michiko stared in awe at the beautiful cafe that suited her perfectly, she would have been happy to stay in the restaurant for the rest of her life.

"Thank you," Jiro chimed to the maître de before grinning at Michiko. "I knew you would like it here."

"Would you like any drinks?" The maître de enquired, distracting Jiro from noticing Michiko's blushing cheeks.

"Just a Howler for me." Jiro stated before glancing at Michiko.

"I'll have the same." She replied with a shrug, praying that she had not ordered something that she would later regret.

"Don't worry," Jiro explained once the maître de had left. "You will like it too."

"How can you be so sure?" She challenged.

"Trust me, I know you well enough," He smirked. "How have you been then?"

"Good thank you. Little chaotic what with it being our final year of school, but Mei and Oniyuro keep me under control. And it was really wonderful to find out that Reiko is staying for the year," Michiko replied with a small smile. "And yourself?"

"Everything is actually pretty good, crazy as always with Kurou, Hiyo, and Yuki as friends," Jiro stated as Michiko struggled to contain the urge to snarl at his choice in companions. "I have made the sports teams again."

"No surprise there." She beamed as he chuckled melodically.

"Thanks," He continued with a wide toothy smile spreading across his lips to expose his slightly sharpened canines. "Hopefully I can try and keep my marks up or else I will be getting an earful from Yuki _and _my parents. I'm really thankful though that nothing is too awkward at school after Komugi and I broke up, I was really worried that Hiyo would not want to be around me."

"Because that would be so horrible." Michiko muttered under her breath venomously, her hands curling into fists as the image of the adorable human girl Jiro had fallen for burned furiously in her mind.

"What's wrong?" He enquired, noticing her tensed figure.

"Nothing," She snapped far harsher than she intended. "Why don't we just change the subject?"

"Right," Jiro grumbled before a smirk suddenly broke out across his handsome face, his mind clicking into place over what was truly wrong. "Oh, you are upset because of Komugi."

"What?" Michiko blurted, struggling to organise her thoughts as her amethyst eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "I am _not_; don't be so full of yourself, Ginjirou."

"Okay, you're not," He retorted, holding up his hands in defence with a roll of his golden eyes before leaning across the table, moving to cup her delicate hand in his own as he closed the distance between them. "But, hypothetically, if you were upset because of her, I would say don't worry."

"W-why is that?" She replied as he stroked his fingertips over her jaw.

"Because you are the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on, physically and emotionally," He murmured alluringly, his hot breath tickling over her blushing features. "And I have never wanted to be with anyone more than you, Michiko."


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

Mei pressed her pale lips to the ivory straw tucked through the lid of her plastic drink capsule, slurping up the frothy vanilla flavoured milkshake held within. She felt her lips fold into a smile as the chilled foam swept down her throat, the taste of ice cream lingering on her rose tongue momentarily.

"I see someone has a bit of a sweet tooth," Oniyuro piped, running a hand through his charcoal lopsided hair. "I would have bought that for you if you wanted."

"I do not expect anyone to buy me anything, I can support myself," She retorted before her ashen flecked ebony eyes glanced towards his fallen expression. "But it is sweet of you to offer."

"I will be careful not to be a gentleman ever again." He challenged as she chuckled melodically.

"I will hold you to that," She chimed before digging her left hand into her messenger bag, retrieving a section of lined paper that was scrawled in a list of ingredients. "We still have quite a way to go, but I think if we can brew our paralytic potion perfectly we will get an amazing potion."

Oniyuro bobbed his head into a nod, his towering slender figure shuddering with excitement at the potion they had chosen to concoct, at the idea of depressing someone's metabolism to such a degree that it simulated death to even the most experienced of doctors. Mei watched curiously as his well-defined ivory-skinned face twisted with delight as he mused to himself, his golden eyes narrowing in concentration. His slender torso was compressed into an ebony long-sleeved shirt that was hidden beneath his similarly coloured trench coat whilst his legs were tucked into a pair of ebony slacks. His waist was adorned in shimmering silver chains that matched those that hung from his jet black combat boots. If it were not for his deathly pale skin, he would have blended into the shadows unseen in his completely black attire.

"I guess you are pretty excited about the potion." Mei interrupted eventually as she dumped her emptied plastic cup into a nearby bin.

"What?" He blurted, snapping out of his trance to arch a thrice pierced eyebrow at her.

"You heard what I said," She grinned before tearing the sheet in half and handing one section to Oniyuro with a nod. "If we want to finish this off before dinner we should split up."

"I do not think so," He retorted, sourly refusing to take the parchment. "It is not exactly safe to walk around by yourself, especially when the corridors change every few minutes. If you got lost or–"

"We are going to split up," She snapped murderously, leering at Oniyuro despite that he towered over her by over a foot. "I may be a girl, but I _can_ take care of myself. It's a shopping centre not a damn battlefield and if _you _can survive out here by _yourself _so can I."

"I did not mean that you could not handle it _because _you are a girl," Oniyuro challenged with as furious a tone, his eyes now narrowed into tight slits as his eyebrows knitted together darkly. "But you _are _new to this whole damned place and have no idea where you are going and _if _you were to be lost or worse _I _will be accountable for it. You are _my _responsibility."

"I swear I will set you alight on the spot if you do not calm the hell down!" She hissed venomously.

"You started with the screaming and shouting first," He snarled, folding his arms over his chest and releasing a deep sigh as his expression softened. "I will be careful not to care about your safety in the future."

Mei's fury washed away instantly, her fists unravelling as her tensed expression relaxed gently. She watched as Oniyuro struggled to hide the hurt that was spreading across his features at her livid response to him simply caring for her safety. She felt like an idiot, she jumped down his throat for caring for her, if Michiko or Reiko had done so she would have remained calm and rational, but she assumed that as Oniyuro was a male, he was programmed with the sexist views of many others.

"I'm sorry, Oniyuro," She murmured, hugging her waist in embarrassment. "I just assumed–"

"You are quite the sexist yourself," He intercepted before a small smile crept across his plump pale lips. "But, I can't say your views are not without grounds. I guess splitting up is a good idea, just try to come back in one piece or else it is an ear full for me."

"So, in actually, this whole time you have been worried about _your_ safety, not mine," She grinned before forcing his half of the ingredient list into his hands. "I will meet you back here in an hour, if I am late, _you _can give _me _an ear full."

* * *

Mei tucked her paper bag containing her herb leaves into her messenger bag, mentally crossing another ingredient off of the list. Everything was going a lot faster than she anticipated and she only hoped Oniyuro had kept up with her speed, she was not prepared to wait around the dreadfully dull shopping centre any longer if Oniyuro had not completed his portion by the time they were to meet up. She had already wasted over half of her Saturday gathering Chemistry supplies; she was not going to waste anymore of her precious freedom.

"Don't you know that beautiful girls like you should not be out alone in places like these?" A smug voice rushed over her, halting her in her tracks as her blood curdled, bile scratching feverishly at the back of her throat.

Mei whipped around on her heel to find her body mere centimetres away from the tall, athletic figure of Maboroshidou Haine, his flawlessly shaped lips moulded into a charming smirk as he leant against the wall casually. A collared jet black shirt clung to his torso, a few buttons undone to reveal his milky white flesh along with a collar wrapped around his neck with a small cross dangling from it. His longs legs were encased in a pair of dark jeans as his ashen grey wings spread out from his back, framing his figure perfectly. His grey golden highlighted eyes met Mei's as he ran a hand through his wispy mop of hair, revealing the piercings that were sprinkled about the dips and curves of his ears.

"Don't you know that roasted crow is a Xiantha delicacy?" Mei challenged, spawning a sphere of flames in her one of her palms threateningly.

"I like a girl with a bit of bite," He mused, disregarding her comment with a wider smirk before gesturing towards her chest. "And I suppose those add to your appeal."

"You might want to get your mind out of that little gutter before I sever whatever is left of your underdeveloped brain out of that empty head of yours," She retorted before narrowing her shimmering flecked eyes at him suspiciously. "Besides, what are _you _doing here by _yourself_? Knowing your track record, I would not be surprised if you followed me here."

"Do not flatter yourself, dear." Haine chimed but she simply rolled her eyes.

"Right, because you are here to what, shop? I highly doubt that," Mei stated, gesturing towards his empty hands as a smirk now crept across her lips. "You know, it might be healthier for you to make your some friends of your own at university, maybe find a girl to stalk there. Or you could at least go back to that bubbling airhead Hiyo before I am forced to claw my own eyes out just to avoid your smug little face."

"I think you would miss my smug little face if I returned to Hiyo," He murmured, moving as if to close the distance between them. "Or perhaps is that jealousy I sense in your tone?"

"Only someone with the intelligence of a plank of wood would be jealous of that imbecile," She snapped, taking a step back for every step Haine took towards hers. "In case your deluded mind _still _cannot understand this, let me make it perfectly clear, you do nothing but irritate me and I dread your existence, Haine."

Suddenly Mei felt her back meet the chilled, stiff brick wall that Haine had been leaning against, his palms pressed against the wall on either side of her bewildered expression as he leaned over her, only a few millimetres separating their bodies. Mei felt his calm, smooth breath tickle of her flesh sensationally as her heart pounded violently against her frail ribcage in erratic confusion as if torn between running or continuing the crow's challenge. Her body remained paralysed with puzzlement as she stared up at him, attempting to sift through her jumbled web of thoughts.

"I fear your body deceives you, Miss Xiantha," He murmured seductively. "Or do you have some other explanation for that deafeningly quick heartbeat of yours?"

Haine's snide comment suddenly snapped Mei back into life, her blood becoming hot lividly as she curled her hands into fists and glared up at him murderously.

"Maybe it was the sudden shock because normal people do not just slam one another against walls unless there are _ulterior _motives," She replied with a roll of her eyes. "Now _you _are flattering yourself."

"I do not hear you protesting to my advancements." He whispered, closing the distance between them.

Mei quickly held up her hands defensively, pressing them to his chiselled chest to keep him from moving any closer to her. She pressed herself as far into the wall as she could to increase the distance between them before smirking triumphantly.

"There we go," She hissed, locking her arms into place to ensure Haine could not continue his shifting closer to her. "I apologise for overestimating your intelligence, you see most of us have some concept of personal space. I will try and remember that you have the mental abilities of a peanut next time."

"It is nice to know there is going to be a next time." He teased, crashing his lips into hers before she could protest.

Mei felt her eyes bulge, her locked arms instinctively pushing him away from her as his tongue ran over her bottom lip. She stared at him in shock, running the buds of her fingers over her lips before glaring furiously.

"Don't you _ever _do that again." She snapped, her curvaceous figure now shaking with anger.

"Well, who is your new _friend_, Haine?" A feminine voice interrupted the pair as the sound of heels clanking over the stone paving echoed over them.

The beholder was taller than Mei with a slender, model-like build that was hugged by a strapless dress with a belt threaded around her miniature waist, showing off her soft curves. Short, ebony hair fell about her young features, framing her porcelain face perfectly as her dark chocolate eyes were narrowed suspiciously. Mei struggled to recognise the girl, she had a face Mei had sworn she had seen before yet she struggled to match a name to the youthful visage.

"This would be Mei Xiantha–"

"And I am not his friend." Mei intercepted angrily, secretly thankful that there was a now a measurable distance between them as she struggled to resist the urge to plough her fist through his handsome face.

"I am sure you are not, all of Haine's females are not _friends_." The girl spat venomously in a tone drenched in jealousy.

"I am not whatever you are thinking of, kid," Mei retorted with a snarl, folding her arms over her chest as her glare shifted from Haine to the girl. "Contracting a plague sounds more pleasant than spending any time around him."

"One day your words will truly drive me off," Haine exclaimed with a mock tone of sadness. "What will you do then?"

"Thank the heavens that you have finally gotten the bleeding message." She challenged.

"How interesting," The girl's musing interrupted the pair before they could continue their argument, her expression laced with irritation over being ignored. "I have not met a girl who has not fallen for Haine in a long time."

The girl gazed at Haine with wide affectionate eyes, her attractive figure inching towards him as he remained bitterly oblivious, his stare instead fixated on Mei.

"Well as much fun as this is turning out to be," Mei intercepted, smoothing out her tank top as she gathered herself together. "I have got to meet someone and quite frankly leave the company of lesser mammals."

Mei rolled her eyes and turned on her heel to leave, aggravation spreading through her veins. Suddenly a delicate hand squeezed her shoulder

"Aren't we a little rude?" The girl sneered, leering over Mei angrily.

"Aren't we a little young to be mounting nineteen-year-olds?" Mei challenged whilst studying the girl before a knowing smirk spread across her lips. "May I ask your name, kid? You see, you remind me of a member of a washed up pop duo, unfortunately not the attractive one."

"I am Chiya Tenma, I am sure you have already met my wonderful brother," She snapped viciously before lowering her tone and stealing a glance at Haine. "And if you ever see him again, just remember, Haine is _mine_."


	16. Chapter 16

Bah, filler chapter.

* * *

**CHAPTER 16**

Reiko found it hard to leave her friends that weekend evening to meet her mentor and romantic interest, Semu. She did not need sight to know that Michiko was high on cloud nine following her afternoon with Jiro, she was barely able to string together a sentence without bursting into girlish giggles and no doubt having her fair cheeks redden in embarrassment. Unfortunately, Oniyuro and Mei did not return in such high spirits, the pair instead grunted furiously about the reappearance of Maboroshidou Haine and snapped insults at the demon crow along with their desires to end his apparently _pitiful _existence.

Reiko quickly pushed the worries over her friends out of her mind, trying to calm down her trembling, petite body as she approached the hospital wing. Her shimmering ebony locks were pulled back into a bundle of spirals with a few ringlets falling free to frame her attractive face along with her straight-across fringe. Her short, dainty figure was compressed into a long, ivory blouse that fell to her mid-thigh, her slender legs encased in a pair of ebony spandex trousers. Her feet were slipped into a pair of pale flats that clicked over the tiled floor as she scurried into the hospital wing.

As she reached the double doors, her heart beating erratically with anticipation, they swung open before her, guided by the animated skeleton nurse that greeted Reiko kindly before directing her towards Semu's office. Reiko thanked her with a small smile, her clouded over pallid eyes staring unfocused into the distance as she shuffled into the room nervously.

The room was illuminated softly by baby blue candles, the medical equipment all removed from the circular office and instead replaced with a glossy mahogany table with a pair of matching cushioned chairs. Grand home cooked dishes sat upon the tabletop, streams of steam shimmering off of them, flooding Reiko's figure with tantalising aromas as Semu settled down the final dish. His chocolate eyes darted up curiously before settling upon Reiko's beautiful form through his mop of ruffled golden blonde tangles.

"Good evening Reiko." He chimed before standing stiffly upright and smoothing out his collared ivory, buttoned-up top and dark slacks about his athletic figure.

"Good evening," She replied gently, guiding herself towards his voice before her allocated chair halted her in her tracks. "Is this my seat?"

"Yes, of course. Please, by all means, sit down and relax," Semu soothed, watching as she perched herself upon the chair before following suit. "I thought a restaurant would not compare to a home cooked meal at my _experienced _hands."

Reiko felt a bubble of soft nervous laughter escape through her rose-coloured lips as her cheeks burned deep scarlet at his suggestive words, a lump building up in her oesophagus, preventing her from uttering a single word. Semu chuckled lightly at her adorable anxiety before elegantly pouring glossy, burgundy wine into two hand-blown glasses, placing one in front of himself and the other in front of Reiko.

"Trust me, it is only a little wine for the nerves, my pet," He explained, noticing her hesitation towards the alcohol. "Come now, I made all of this for you, will you not try a bit?"

Reiko smiled softly before obligingly and taking the platter nearest to her, snatching one of the steaming dumplings onto her plate. She shifted other food from the separate platters onto her plate before pinching the aromatic dumpling with her chopsticks, lifting it into the air. Suddenly, as she took an elegant nibble, her mouth was alight with scrumptious striking flavours and spices, her unfocused eyes widening in disbelief. She quickly gulped down her mouthful and dabbed her plump lips with her napkin before settling down her chopsticks.

"Semu, this is _delicious_," She piped with a kind smile. "I never knew you had so many talents."

Semu grinned, his lips spreading into a grin as his dark eyes twinkled with delight and mischief.

"Don't worry, Reiko," He smirked, twirling his chopsticks around a pile of fried noodles flirtatiously. "I have many more _surprises _waiting for you this evening."

Reiko felt her smile falter nervously, her cheeks once again burning an adorable deep scarlet colour as a pair of ebony bat ears flopped out of her dark waterfall of curls, exposing her flattery. Semu's smirk only grew knowingly at this.

* * *

Reiko ruffled her slim fingers through her thick fringe after placing her cutlery neatly onto the bare plate before her, the glossy circular table clear of the delectable platters of food that once sat there. Semu's chin rested on a platform of his interlaced fingers, his elbows propped up onto the table whilst he muttered a word of gratitude towards the skeletal nurse as she slowly cleaned platters away from the table.

"Thank you for the wonderful meal, Semu." She whispered, her cheeks growing hot beneath his affectionate gaze.

"Thank you for the wonderful company," He replied, climbing to his feet before sweeping towards Reiko and offering her his hand. "Are you coming, my sweet?"

Reiko's features pinched together in confusion as she reluctantly placed her dainty hand in his large one, the feel of his soft, chilled flesh sending vibrations of delight down her nerves, making butterflies explode into life in her stomach.

"W-w-w-where are we going?" She stuttered nervously, her heart pounding furiously against her frail ribcage as Semu guided her to her feet.

"Somewhere." Semu stated curtly, twirling Reiko around before guiding her towards a towering mahogany door behind where his desk sat.

The door opened onto a winding iron staircase that led up to the top of a tower which sprouted out of the far side of the Saint Monster Academy. The room was gargantuan with cream-coloured walls, filled with extravagant furniture that formed a lounge. To the right there was an unlocked door that opened into a lush bedroom, to the left there was a pallid door that led to a bathroom.

"Is this your quarters?" Reiko asked as Semu slipped the entrance shut behind her.

"You are the first person I have ever invited up to it."

"Well it looks beautiful." She joked with a grin that exposed her perfectly straight, pearly white teeth along with the pair of fangs that sat where a normal monster's canines belonged.

Semu mirrored her grin before wrapping his arms around her petite waist and tugging her alongside him towards the vast ivory French windows. He settled his dainty companion down on the cushioned window ledge as his fingers fumbled over the golden lock before he thrust the windows open, allowing a gust of chilled air to brush over them. The aroma of newly cut grass and the fresh rain of the spring danced about the pair as he took his place beside Reiko, swinging his long legs over the ledge, allowing them to tangle over the slanted roof of the tower whilst Reiko simply snuggled up nervously, as if she were about to fall out into the night sky.

"I will not let you fall," Semu reminded her, grasping her hand tightly, ceasing her anxious shivering. "Trust me."

"I do!" She squeaked in protest, squeezing his hand back firmly.

He glanced at her in bewilderment before chuckling deeply to himself, his gaze darting out into the star sprinkled night, the silver glow of the moon pooling over them, illuminating their figures. Reiko curled her lips into a pout, narrowing her eyes sharply.

"Why are you _laughing_?" This only served to increase his laughter and her irritated perplexity, making her whole face grow rose-coloured with embarrassment. "Stop it."

"I'm not laughing _at _you," He stated once his chuckles had ceased, slipping his free arm around Reiko's waist and pulling her ballerina figure into the curve of his athletic one. "You are just _so _adorable, even when you are trying to be angry."

Her pout twitched into a smile as she nuzzled into Semu's well -built frame, his sweet aroma flooding her nostrils, comforting her gently. She felt her eyes peacefully slide shut as she curled her fingers around the fabric of her partner's top, clinging to him tightly.

"Thank you for believing in me, Semu," The words poured out through her lips as she exhaled before she could even understand what she was saying. "And for this amazing opportunity."

As Reiko finally registered what she had said, she felt Semu shift beneath her, his hands travelling up her form to cup her jaw as his body suddenly turned to faced hers. He stroked his thumb over her cheek gently, his hot breath smothering her features.

"It is hard to deny these things from such talent and intellect," He murmured, entangling one of his hands in her dark curls as the other continued to caress her jaw. "And such a _beautiful_ form."

Suddenly, his lips crashed into hers, sending shocks of heated ecstasy through her petite body, electrifying her nerves into life.


	17. Chapter 17

I started working part-time for an Italian restaurant this week and I am not joking when I say one of the other part-time workers looks like he could be related to me. Seriously, he looks exactly how I would look if I was a man. xD I was like "Wow, always wondered what I'd look like as a man and now we know."

* * *

**CHAPTER 17**

Mei tucked a stray strand of ebony out of her fair features that wore of a look of disinterest as she slumped before the table at which her friends sat, eating away at plates filled with breakfast goods. She simply glanced at her meal in boredom, pushing it away from her before glaring at her friends impatiently.

"Are you guys done yet?" She muttered through gritted teeth.

"Calm down," Michiko advised her as she nibbled on a slice of cucumber, her dark amethyst eyes focused on a laughing figure sitting at a table a few metres ahead of them. "Why are you in such a hurry anyway?"

"I want to get to Chemistry early to start brewing our potion," She snapped back in a matter-of-fact tone before folding her arms over her chest with a sneer. "You might be worried about finishing yours off considering you spend the majority of the time leeching onto your little boyfriend's face."

Suddenly a flash of orange rushed through the air, catching Mei's dark ashen eyes before the projectile halted mere millimetres away from her unimpressed expression. Her gaze dropped to the plate and the carrot followed obediently under her elemental control.

"I appreciate the carrot," Mei said with a roll of her eyes before smirking widely. "But I would not throw projectiles at a godai or I will have to start sending things back."

"You two are far _too_ stubborn and hot-headed." Oniyuro mumbled under his breath, causing both girls to turn their murderous glares on his slender figure. He narrowed his golden eyes into dark slits, glaring back at Michiko before glancing at Mei and rolling his eyes, attempting to hide his soft spot for the godai monster.

"Everything they say to one another is said with love," Reiko intercepted, acting as the voice of reason between the trio of short-tempered teenagers. "And either way, it is best not to involve yourself in the matters of girls, Oni."

Soon enough, Mei's comrades settled their cutlery on their plates, waking her from her thoughts to inform her of their completion of the meal. Once they exited the dining hall, Reiko quickly parted from the trio, smiling apologetically and wishing them well with their Chemistry project before scurrying off to the school hospital for her scheduled work experience with her romantic partner, Semu. A few moments after her departure, Mei and her comrades reached the Chemistry classroom which was practically empty apart from a few other students who arrived early and truly cared for their academic achievements.

"Have fun with Jiro," Mei teased as Michiko parted from her and Oniyuro, waltzing towards the table her boyfriend and her had claimed as their own over the past few lessons. "Try and keep the public displays of affection to a minimum my dear friend."

Michiko stuck out her tongue in response before Mei turned back to her partner who was gathering all their ingredients onto the table. With a smile, Mei quickly snatched a cauldron and heating flame from the back of the classroom, settling up the cauldron for brewing before grabbing a list of instructions the pair of them had created to be the most efficient yet effective.

"I wonder who we will test the effectiveness of this potion on." Oniyuro mused out loud as he began boiling the leaves of a rare, poisonous flower with anaesthetic properties.

"I hope it will be one of the Tamaki sisters." She sneered mischievously in response.

"Not Maboroshidou Haine?"

"Are you kidding?" She muttered in a dark, serious tone. "I would prefer _actual _death for that pathetic excuse for a monster."

Oniyuro smirked at her response in approval before continuing about his work alongside Mei. As the pair worked like a well-oiled machine on their oil that had to be perfect by the end of the two hour lesson, other students began pouring into the room, clumsily collecting their supplies and lazily beginning their work, far overestimating their abilities to work under the pressure of a time limit. Meanwhile, their Chemistry professor swooped up and down the room, pacing in between the desks, observing the students and their working methods, scribbling down notes whilst also ensuring safety was maintained for the less competent.

In no time, the bell signalling the end of the lesson screeched into life, sending most students jumping in fright as they quickly finished off the last aspects of their potion. Mei and Oniyuro, however, had just finished cleaning their station whilst keeping a calm, collected eye on the completed potion when the end of brewing time had been called. Mei quickly stole a glance at her purple-haired female friend who had begun cleaning her own station alongside her boyfriend, her potion steaming freshly and appearing well-brewed. However, she would not expect anything less from a friend as brilliant as Michiko, even if she was paired with a boy who found Hiyo, Kurou, and their gang to be worthy friends.

"Looks like Michiko's brew has gone better than expected." Mei whispered out of the corner of her pale lips, watching at the professor tested out the potion their friend had created before taking down notes and smiling in approval.

"Even with the sports-obsessed moron alongside her," Oniyuro muttered in irritation, not bothered about openly expressing his hatred of the subject of her long-term affections. "But, I think she had to go for a far simpler potion than intended to make sure he could keep up."

"At least he is not as stupid as Hiyo."

"Since when are you singing his praises?" He enquired suspiciously, earning himself an eye roll from Mei.

"I am merely stating the facts, I also think Michiko has _some _standards," Mei snapped. "Someone with her intelligence would _not _date a complete imbecile or else she would end up murdering him."

"If only she would, then-"

"Am I interrupting you two?" The professor's voice broke the hushed conversation between the pair as he stood before their desk, awaiting the presentation of their potion.

"Not at all." Mei replied curtly before explaining what their potion was and the process of research, collection, and brewing they had gone through.

After taking their notes from them, the professor smiled and glanced about the room, searching for a test subject.

"Very well then, let us test this brew out." He quickly elected a student who would not suffer terrible damage if mistakes had occurred in the brewing before handing the silent student a ladle and instructing him.

As soon as the still heated potion passed through the boy's lips, he stumbled backwards, the professor catching him, allowing him to narrowly escape a collision with a nearby desk. The class sat wide-eyed, gawking with horror, fearing their classmate was actually lying dead before their eyes. The professor simply smirked at the gasping audience as he measured the male's pulse and checked his responses.

"What a brilliant potion," He stated, lifting the limp body of the boy into his arms. "This is incredibly well-brewed; I myself nearly believed our volunteer had dropped dead on the spot."

* * *

"You can stop gloating now." Michiko groaned, shaking her head of pinpoint straight violet locks as she spoke.

"You are just upset because it is true," Mei challenged with a proud smirk. "Our potion was _brilliant_."

"The _best_ one even." Oniyuro added.

"Oni, do _not_ join in with her or I will slap that silver streak right out of your hair." She growled.

"And I will make sure you regret that for the rest of your life if you ever lay a single hand on me." He hissed venomously, his hands clenching into fists as he towered over Michiko threateningly.

"If you two don't cool down, I will set you alight," Mei snapped, brushing her slanted charcoal bangs out of her aggravated expression. "And let me tell you, hair burns _dangerously _fast."

That managed to shut the duo up, Oniyuro simply half-smiling at Mei's furious nature and Michiko rolling her eyes and returning to her overactive thoughts. Mei simply smiled at her two friends, hugging her waist with her arms as they walked to meet Reiko on her break.

"Congratulations on your potion brewing, Mei."

Mei felt her insides boil furiously as the familiar voice of the university stupid referred to as Haine bombarded her ears, making her comrades halt alongside her, as if nailed to the spot with rage.

"You guys can go ahead," She muttered. "Do not leave Reiko waiting around for us."

Michiko obeyed Mei's suggestion, continuing down the hallway whilst Oniyuro lingered slightly, glancing over his shoulder with his golden eyes narrowed into a deathly glare.

"I don't mind waiting with you, Mei." He murmured but she simply shook her head with a smirk.

"I cannot have any witnesses to his murder."

With one last look at Mei before she turned sharply on her heel to face Haine, Oniyuro reluctantly followed after Michiko, muttering curses under his breath at the crow demon. Once he had her full attention, Haine smoothed out his ivory button-down shirt, a mischievous twinkle flashing across his grey hued pale chocolate brown eyes as his gargantuan ashen-feathered wings burst out of his back, fully exposing them to Mei.

"How lovely," She spat sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "Now what do you want? Because if you are just here to irritate me, mission accomplished so you can leave _now_."

"Actually I have a proposition for you." He stated calmly with a smirk.

"Oh great, I have a reply for you," She hissed through her gritted teeth. "_Fuck off_."

"Watch that language, no man will go for you with a tainted tongue like that," He teased, leaning over her to smother her with his delectable scent. "Do not try and pretend that you are not even the _least _bit interested in my surprise."

"I really do _not _have to _pretend_." He ignored her mutterings and reached a hand behind his back, plucking out a single satin soft feather from his wings and presenting it to Mei.

"Crow demons exchange feathers as a promise of themselves to one another and seeing as I have access to _all _of your elements," He explained, smugly unaware of her confused expression. "You could have a feather of mine."

Mei quickly turned her gawking expression into an expression of false appreciation as she took the feather from Haine, a smile of mockery spreading across her lips.

"Oh, you shouldn't have. How did you know this was always what I wanted?" She exclaimed as she ran her fingers over the base of the feather. "In fact, I think I know _exactly _what I will do with it."

Suddenly flames erupted from her fingertips, engulfing the feather, disintegrating it to a pile of ash in the palm of her hand that simply whisked into the wind under Mei's will. She smirked as she dusted her hands over one another and turned her back on Haine.

"Next time I will _not_ stop at just _one _of your little feathers."


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

The next few days passed by quickly, bringing April to an abrupt end and welcoming the transition into the blissful weather of the summer months. The hazed days quickly blurred into weeks which drowned into months of hard work, Mei reluctantly engaging in conversations with Reiko and Michiko about their respective romantic partners, and the constant, aggravating reappearances of Maboroshidou Haine that sent both Oniyuro and Mei into a wild fury laced with foul language and death threats. Before she knew it, it was mid-July and the final day of her first term at the Saint Monster Academy.

Mei placed her suitcase at the foot of her bed for collection by the school staff before smoothed out the ebony shirt-dress printed in the insignia of her favourite metal band about her well-developed torso. Her legs were compressed into a pair of hazardously torn leggings with her feet stuffed into a pair of worn-out converse decorated with bright scarlet shoelaces. Her dark hair was pulled back messily with several strands falling free to frame her paper-white features along with her slanted bangs that were highlighted by a single ivory strip.

"Are you ready to go yet?" A voice erupted from the doorway along with a rhythmic knock.

With one last glance at her dorm to ensure everything was in order, Mei swept towards the door, swinging it open to reveal Michiko awaiting her. Her tall raven rabbit ears poked out of her dark violet locks which were left to fall in a waterfall of natural curls about her elbows, framing the alluring curves of her torso which was compressed into an ebony tank top with a laced trip. Her slender legs were exposed by a pair of lavender-coloured jean shorts that only slightly brushed over her thigh and her feet were stuffed into a pair of pale ballet flats.

"C'mon, Oni is waiting for us."

"What about Reiko?" Mei enquired as she slipped the door to her dorm shut behind her before walking down the winding corridor of the girls' quarters alongside Michiko.

"She is going to meet us at the house when Semu gets off work," She smiled mischievously, wiggling her dainty nose. "I think we will have to make sure they have a room to themselves."

"Oh thanks for _that _mental image," Mei complained. "What about you and your _lover_?"

"He is my _boyfriend_," She corrected before replying. "And he is going to meet us there once we have set up and everything. Plus I fear Oni may try and murder him if he came with us on the way there."

Mei had to admit her friend had a point, although Oniyuro had agreed that both Reiko and Michiko had the freedom to date whomever they pleased–although he still remained protective of the dainty Reiko–he would not give up an opportunity to ridicule their boyfriends and would jump at the opportunity to harm one of them physically whilst free of the all-knowing eyes of the school staff. For their summer vacation, Michiko had managed to organise a beach house in which they could holiday, inviting both her boyfriend and Reiko's along to join them. Mei was at least thankful that they had managed to bully Oniyuro into joining them as she would not enjoy being the third wheel to both of the happy couples.

The pair continued to talk amongst themselves softly as they walked towards the entrance to the Saint Monster Academy grounds where a horde of excited students stood, anxious to begin their summer vacation.

"Found him!" Michiko exclaimed, easily spotting Oniyuro out of the crowd as his slender figure stood taller than all other students apart from a few other males.

His paper-white face bore an aggravated expression as he stalked through the crowd, wishing to escape the close proximity with such irritants. The silver streak running through his hair glinted in the bright beam of the sun; similar to the black hoops pierced through his right eyebrow twinkled in the bright beam of the sun, mirroring the many studs and hoops decorating the dips and curves of his pointed elfin ears. A black crescent moon within an outlined ivory star tattoo sat just below his right ear, exposed by the lopsided nature of his tangles, cropped on the right and the left hanging well past his jaw, hiding his left eye from sight.

As his golden eyes caught sight of his comrades, he came into full view, his figure dressed in a pair of black slacks and a similarly coloured, plain long-sleeved top. His feet were stuffed into a pair of combat boots and his waist was adorned in chains and studded belts. Mei was almost baffled as to how he was not overheating beneath his long, dark clothing, as, just like Oniyuro himself, it was a mystery.

"Are we ready to go then?" He grumbled sourly as he reached the duo.

"Pretty much, Reiko is going to meet us there," Michiko replied with a smile of excitement before glaring warningly at Oniyuro. "And _you _could at least _pretend _that you are excited to go."

After registering the address to deliver their luggage to, the trio climbed onto a practically empty ivory-coloured bus, embarking on a several hour long journey to their beachside home. Finally, with a groan, Mei climbed off the bus, stretching out her limbs before her flecked eyes widened in disbelief at the house before them.

It stood two stories tall, overlooking the beach on a podium of wooden supports that included a staircase that led directly onto the shimmering, heated sandy that rimmed the bay. It was an ivory colour with a wooden roof that matched the supports, its walls decorated by various large crystal clear windows. The ground floor possessed a deck that extended over the beach, holding several chairs and a fire pit whilst the floor above held various balconies. The innards of the house were equally as impressive; the building possessing an extensive, almost futuristic kitchen, four en suite bedrooms, and an open-plan dining room and living room, whose windows over looked the beauteous beach.

"You guys are welcome," Michiko smirked, noticing her comrades' awestruck expressions before gesturing to the luggage beside the staircase. "Looks like everything is here... So I guess I am going to grab the biggest room!"

Before her friends could protest, she snatched her baggage and disappeared up the stairs in a flash of violet. Mei glanced suspiciously at Oniyuro before grabbing her suitcases and climbing up the stairs with him sauntering behind her until she disappeared into one of the rooms that overlooked the beach, claiming it as her own. She quickly unpacked her clothes, settling them neatly into the drawers and wondering when Reiko would join the trio and what they would do with the remainder of their day. As if reading her mind, Michiko's voice echoed through the floor, answering the very questions on her mind.

"Just so you guys know, Reiko is going to be here in about an hour so I thought we could go down to the beach and hang out just before she gets here, maybe even get some food ordered in instead of cooking for ourselves."

* * *

Mei glanced at herself in the full length mirror, her pin-straight ebony hair falling free about her waist which was completely bare, her outfit exposing her milky white legs and abdomen which were encased in a layer of sun cream to maintain their fair tone. Her bust was compressed into a black bikini top decorated by tiny gothic-styled crosses that clipped the straps to the chest section, matching the bikini bottoms which were hidden beneath a pair of waterproof short shorts that clung to her rear with a striped scarlet and ebony design. Her feet were stuffed into a pair of dark flats and a tote bag holding all of her essentials was slung over her shoulder.

"I _never _thought I would see _this _much of you."

Mei turned to find Michiko standing in the doorway, her curvaceous figure dressed in a violet-coloured string bikini with the straps decorated by a lace finish, a towel folded over her arm. Her dark purple hair now fell just above her wrists, perfectly straight held beneath an ebony summer hat with a lace design. Her raven rabbit ears bore a new array of hoops and tapers through their lobes, mirroring the silver stud pierced above the left side of her lip.

"I can say the same for you." Mei replied with a frown before following Michiko out of her room and into the downstairs living room where Oniyuro awaited.

He was still dressed in his dark attire, clearly not interested in joining in on the summer escapades of his comrades. However, as he heard the dainty footsteps of his short yet curvaceous comrades descending the stairs, his gaze darted over his shoulder, his narrowed golden eyes with an ivory ring widening in shock, his heart nearly stopping in his chest at the sight of Mei. He felt his eyes inspect every exposed section of her subtle, fair skin, thankful that his slacks were loose enough to hide how tight they were becoming. He had grown used to seeing Michiko as such through their many summers together, but this new view of the subject of his affections made him feel like he might pass out on the spot from shock.

"Don't stare, Oni," Michiko interrupted his thoughts with a knowing smirk as Mei remained oblivious. "You might make _someone _uncomfortable."

"I am _not_ staring at _anyone_," He snapped murderously. "I was just astounded that it takes women so long to change into so little."

"Well with all those clothes, I hope you enjoy your heat stroke." She challenged before Mei rolled her eyes and exited the house, the arguing duo moving close behind her.

They quickly found a place to set up base down the beach, close enough to the ocean for them to only take a few steps to reach it, but far enough to keep dry when the foaming waves rolled in. Michiko and Mei unravelled several towels beneath a large ivory-coloured, slanted parasol that was stuffed into the soft sand. Oniyuro quickly took his spot in the complete shade with Mei leaving her bag on the towel beside him, claiming it as her own with Michiko following suit with her hat and the next towel along before scurrying into the rippling sapphire water. A rush of relief splashed over Mei as she disappeared into the ocean, reconnecting with one of the elements she controlled, feeling it caress her voluptuous form lovingly. She remained suspended at the seabed, moving the water along with simple waves of her hands, not needing a single gasp of air above the waves due to her ability to manipulate both the air she needed and the water she admired.

She suddenly felt her body jolt upwards, resurfacing with a bewildered expression as she was broken from her blissful daze by Michiko whose hand was curled around Mei's wrist. Before she could snap at her angrily, her comrade simply pointed towards the beach where Reiko stood, approaching them with a grin as her curled ebony hair bounced about her dainty figure jovially, her straight-across fringe framing her pale sky blue eyes. Her petite body wore an ivory laced chiffon dress that ended along her mid-thigh with long loose sleeves that ended just above her fingertips, the dress concealing a rose-coloured bikini beneath that Semu had no doubt picked out for her.

Semu stood beside her in his excited adult form, his fingers entangled through hers whilst his athletic body was dressed in a pair of swimming trunks and an unbuttoned ivory top that exposed his slightly bronzed, well-built torso. His mop of golden tangles fell messily about his handsome face whilst his eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses that were to protect the world from his eyes rather than his eyes from the world.

"You two took your sweet time," Michiko exclaimed as the couple sat at the base their comrades had created, snuggling up to one another on a single towel. "Or were you too _preoccupied _to leave the bedroom?"

Semu chuckled as his girlfriend's cheeks flushed deep scarlet, her little bat ears flopping out of her hair once more, exposing her embarrassment and the truth of Michiko's assumption to the others. Reiko quickly changed the subject, trying to shift the embarrassment off of herself.

"Jiro was just arriving when we came down the beach," She announced, pressing the tips of her pointer fingers together nervously. "But there is something you should know..."

"What?" Michiko blurted, her excited grin falling in confusion.

Before Reiko could softly explain, Jiro appeared along the beach, a charismatic grin spread across his features as he laughed happily, shaking his long, back combed sapphire-blue locks about his features, his bangs falling loose in his features, framing his well-defined cheekbones. His tall, athletic figure wore only a pair of swimming trunks with a black and white Hawaiian design, exposing his chiselled torso from excelling at just about any sport that came his way. His golden eyes spotted Michiko in an instant and he stuck his arm into the air, waving at her gleefully as the piercings in his ears glittered in the sunlight. She could not help but smile back at him, her heart fluttering in her chest until she saw the figures approaching behind him.

With him stood Hiyo Osora, Kurou Tenma, Chiya Tenma, Yuki Snow-White, the Tamaki sisters, and even Komugi Taneda, Jiro's fully human ex-girlfriend who made Michiko's blood boil at the mere sight of her, her smile turning upside into a sour frown. Mei noticed the approaching crowd, staring in disbelief before narrowing her silver and ebony flecked ashen eyes into a furious glare which she quickly turned on Michiko's ashamed expression.

"Well I think I will have to murder your boyfriend," She snapped before slapping her hand over the water, sending a wave of water crashing into her bewildered friend. "Or maybe just you."


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19**

"Why are they here?" Mei hissed angrily as she sat cross-legged on the towel she had allocated to herself, glaring at Jiro's group of friends who sat several metres away from them.

"Jiro invited them," Michiko squeaked, her amethyst eyes narrowed into a glare at Komugi whose petite body was encased in a string bikini with a flower print. "And _her_... So trust me, I am not happy about this either."

"If they are staying in the house with us, I _will _murder all of them before the sun rises tomorrow morning." Oniyuro added with a frown, propping himself up on his elbows as he otherwise lay on his towel, hidden safely in the shade.

"Luckily, Jiro had the sense to get them to rent their own house that is basically on the other side of the beach."

Before the others could pester her further, Michiko was pulled away by Jiro who wrapped her in his strong arms before disappearing into the ocean, planting kisses along the nape of her neck with her bubbling over with flirtatious giggles. Oniyuro rolled his golden eyes at her and her boyfriend, he was already dreading the idea that Jiro alone would join them–as well as Semu–but now that all of his friends had appeared, it was _literally _Oniyuro's worst nightmare.

"At least she is suffering through this as well," Mei piped with an evil smirk. "Ayaki and Komugi together must be making Michiko's blood boil."

Oniyuro grunted to himself, his body growing painfully hot as the sun reached its peak in the sky, heating the beach to its boiling point. He glanced sheepishly at Mei who was glaring foully at the intruders on their holiday before shifting to an upright position, trying to remove his shirt that now clung to dips and curves of his torso without anyone eyeing him up. However, once he had tugged the dark clothing off, he turned to find Mei staring at him with wide confused eyes that were focused on the tattoo sprawled across his back, creating a cross shaped out of broken black rings. Oniyuro felt his fair cheeks burn nervously at her curious gaze before realising that as he turned, he unintentionally fully exposed his torso to her.

"Now why were you being so stubborn and refusing to dress for the beach earlier? You could have avoided having to change in front of all of these imbeciles," She piped, earning herself an anxious half-smile from Oniyuro before she arched an eyebrow at him inquisitively. "That _is _a pretty cool tattoo."

"Oh thanks..." He muttered softly, retreating further into the shade to hide his exposed torso.

After further questioning from Mei and prodding for Oniyuro to change into something that will not cause him to roast like a slab of meat in the summer sun, he snatched up his shirt, tugged it over his torso and climbed to his feet. He bid Mei farewell to change into something more appropriate whilst she scurried back into the ocean to rejoin with her element, promising to resurface once he returned. He climbed up the beach, exchanging a brief greeting with Reiko as he passed by her and her boyfriend before he ascended the stairs into the ivory-coloured beachside home.

Once he had reached his bedroom, he quickly peeled off of his clothing, replacing them with a pair of hazardously cut, ebony jean shorts that ended along his knees and a loose-fitting, button-down ebony top with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He ruffled his hands though his lopsided charcoal black locks, fingering the single streak of silver before nodding at his appearance in the mirror in approval.

However, as he climbed down the stairs, his sudden high spirits crashed down at the sight of two unwelcomed visitors standing tall in the middle of the living room. His paper-white features twisted into a furious frown as he folded his arms over his chest, glaring at the males darkly, their tall forms dressed in impeccable suits free of even a single speck of dust. He knew who had sent these two; he had grown up with their constant visits, with their desires to test him, to identify him, to destroy him, to control him. He could not be sure if they were humans or monsters, the secretive corporation not even detectable by the otherwise all-seeing headmaster of the Saint Monster Academy.

"What are you doing here? Why have they sent you here?" He growled lividly, his hands curling into tight fists, leaving his veins prominent beneath the fair flesh of his fists. "Did you _follow _me here?"

"Mister Kuroi, this is no joking matter." The darker-skinned one stated, his head nearly clearly shaven, leaving his ebony hair incredibly short.

"We need you to come with us," The other added, offering a hand towards Oniyuro. "The only choice you have is to come _willingly _or by _force_."

"You two have thirty seconds to get out of this house or I will skin you alive," He replied, not fazed by their comments in the slightest. "I will _not _go anywhere with you two or any the other trained monkeys your organisation sends my way, so I would suggest giving up whilst you and your band of merry men are ahead."

The duo looked at one another, maintaining their serious expressions before in the blink of an eye, the darker one appeared mere centimetres away from Oniyuro, a pocket blade pressed against his oesophagus, threatening to pierce through his ivory flesh. Oniyuro did not flinch beneath the sudden movement, instead arching his thrice pierced eyebrow at the man who stood equal to his height.

"You do _not_ want to do this." He advised.

"On the contrary, Mister Kuroi, you do _not _want to resist." The paler partner correct, causing Oniyuro to cackle maniacally, moving with catlike reflexes to grab the handle of the knife.

With a muttering of a dark curse, the knife thrust back at the holder threateningly before vanishing into thin air beneath Oniyuro's control. He folded his full lips into a triumphant smirk at the pair of men, folding his arms over his chest in anticipation of their next move.

"Your move," He stated, ridiculing them cruelly. "But if it is as _pathetic _as that one–and we all saw how well that went down–I would advise you give up now."

"Do not get too comfortable, Mister Kuroi," The closest one to him stated, dusting off his shoulders calmly and straightening out his blazer as he spoke. "You performed as expected on our test and you have chosen to come with us by force."

"So you had best expect to hear from our organisation soon." His partner added with a smirk which dropped with his gaze darted passed Oniyuro's lethal expression towards the beach before them.

His dark chocolate, almost black eyes fixed on Mei's figure suspended within the rolling waves of the ocean, manipulating the movement of the sapphire-coloured water with a single thought or movement of her hands, including sending various bursts of water over those that intruded on their holiday when Jiro arrived. His partner soon noticed he had fallen silent and quickly followed his gaze, noting Mei before smirking cruelly and turning back to his partner. Oniyuro felt his heart rate quicken, his heart pounding violently against his frail ribcage as the men exchanged knowing glances, his body flooding with dread.

"And the plot thickens." The paler one remarked as he mirrored the smirk his partner wore.

"What do you want with _her_?" Oniyuro squeaked, but they ignored his nervous question.

"A godai monster free from the protection of the Xiantha clan, finally out in the open, the boss will be most pleased to hear of this development," The darker one replied proudly. "Who knew this visit to Mister Kurou would be so _informative_."

"We must be sure we can take her–"

"You will _not_ take a single step near her!" Oniyuro's booming voice interrupted the pair, his chest rising and falling quickly as he became overrun with adrenaline, preparing for a battle over Mei. "You had better pray to whatever god you believe in because if you ever _think _about laying a single finger on her I will rip your insides out. I will torture you until you are begging for death, leave you to heal, and then begin _all over again_."

"Little monsters and their little tempers," One of them commented mockingly. "Perhaps we have even found a bargaining chip in this godai to bring Mister Kuroi to us."

"Neither of us are going _anywhere _near you or your organisation!" Oniyuro felt his self-control evaporate suddenly at the thought of the warped organisation taking Mei.

He bolted forward, grabbing the collar of the darker man, curling his hands into fists around tuffs of his top, glaring murderously into his eyes. Before his partner could react and pry him free from Oniyuro's grasp, the curse rolled sourly off of his tongue, the dark magic flooding through his fingertips and into the well-dressed male he held.

Wounds suddenly appeared about his body, gashing deeper and deeper as blood poured out of them, staining his flesh and trickling through his lips and nostrils, desperate to escape through any orifice. He let out a single muffled scream before his eyes rolled backwards, stained in scarlet and his heart stopped on the spot.

Oniyuro released the limp corpse, allowing it to drop to the ground before spitting on it angrily and turning his enraged glare on the remaining visitor. He began to move towards him as he sauntered towards the door, taking one glance at the corpse of his partner before returning his gaze to Oniyuro's features, remaining completely calm.

"I am glad you have chosen this path," He hummed with a smirk. "I cannot wait to teach you what _real _torture is, to watch you beg for mercy for yourself and your little girlfriend."

With that, the man exited the house, leaving Oniyuro bewildered and fuming, barely able to control himself enough to stop himself from destroying the nearest objects to him. He knelt before the corpse of one of the officers, pressing his hands to it and causing it to disintegrate as the blade had done, his body feeling exhausted by his over usage of dark magic, but he was still determined.

This was the last time these demons would invade his home, he would destroy _anyone _who crossed his path and he would stop at no one to protect Mei, no one would _ever _take her to _them_.


	20. Chapter 20

Before I continue with the story, I want to wish emodinosaur (I won't say her real name here... Unless she lets me. xD) good luck on her exams! :D

* * *

**CHAPTER 20**

Mei ruffled a towel through her wet tangles that clung to her figure that was otherwise bare apart from the towel that clung to her bust, falling to her mid-thigh. She glanced out of the window, the sky now a dark azure blue, slowly staining tones of ebony as darkness began to fall about the city, a sprinkling of shimmering stars already visible. Mei searched the sky for a silver slipper of a moon, but it was stolen from sight and she knew this only confirmed her suspicions; Oniyuro was definitely not in one of his better moods as of present.

"Mei, food is here!" Michiko's voice called to her from the ground floor following the rhythmic chime of the doorbell.

She sighed before dressing herself in a black tank top with a scarlet bat printed on the left breast and a pair of ebony jean shorts with frayed edges, clearly exposing that she had cut them herself from a pair of old skinny jeans. She ran a brush quickly through her hair and ruffled her fingers through her slanted bangs before exiting her room, not bothering to bring a pair of shoes as she had done earlier, now aware that they would simply end up filled with sand.

She halted at the door that led to the bedroom Oniyuro had claimed as his own before curling her hand into a fist and rapping it over the wooden door. He peeled it open only enough for him to eye her from head to toe whilst using his tall figure to block any chance of hers to peak into his room.

"You have been in your room for hours," She stated with a frown. "And the food has just got here. I was going to eat it down the beach because I do _not _want to sit around the dinner table with those love-struck couples. Do you want to escape with me?"

"Sorry, Mei, but I can't. This work is really important." He said sadly, his golden eyes glancing at her apologetically.

"Are you sure you do not want to take a break? I am giving you your only lifeline here, I am _not _coming back until they have retired back to their rooms and cannot annoy me." Once again, Oniyuro declined before Mei shrugged and bid him farewell, disappearing down the stairs into the open-plan room below.

Jiro and Michiko sat snuggled into one another's figures on one of the loveseats, bowls filled with take-out set on the table before them whilst Semu and Reiko sat out on the balcony, basking in the darkening sunset, their features illuminated by candlelight. Mei rolled her eyes at the romantic atmosphere as she snatched the plastic bag filled with her order off of the kitchen island before heading for the door that led to the beach.

"Where are you going?" Michiko blurted, the sound of the door ripping free from its frame breaking her trance of affection.

"Down the beach for some peace and quiet," She replied before glancing over her shoulder at her comrade and smirking teasingly. "After all I do _not _want to _interrupt _anything."

Jiro barked with laughter before nuzzling into Michiko's neck, biting her playfully with his canines.

"That _is_ true," He admitted as he nibbled gently, a pair of sapphire wolf ears flopping out of his mop of hair. "We _will_ need things to be _private_."

With a roll of her dark eyes, Mei swept out of the house, tugging the door shut behind her and descending down the winding wooden stairs that led to the barren beach against which the waves rolled softly, filling the air with the gentle aroma of fresh salt. Mei almost felt bad for leaving her comrades despite the fact that it was meant to be a group holiday, but she was definitely not in the mood to play the third wheel. Being around so many happy couples–even Hiyo and Kurou–made her bitterly aware of how alone she was. Reiko and Michiko were the only girls she considered friends and they were in couples and although Oniyuro was not in any relationship, he was not in the mood to be around anyone currently.

_I guess I am just lonely._ She thought before widening her eyes and quickly shaking her head, making the thought vanish immediately.

It was _not _something she wanted to think about, she was used to being lonely in the Xiantha clan, it was almost a comfort to feel isolated to an introvert such as herself and she did not need a relationship to be happy even if others were in them. Mei found a spot to sit near the edge of the ocean, settling her bag of food down before searching for things on which to rest a fire. She quickly gathered a large amount of dead matter–with the aid of her earth manipulation–and dropped it in a pile before her meal, spawning a vibrant flame onto the mount and sitting down beside it, warming her fair figure.

As she sat, twirling her chopsticks around the noodle dish she had ordered and feeding herself in a well-mannered fashion, she grew curious as to why Oniyuro had secluded himself into his room, even though he had promised to return to the beach after he had changed into more suitable clothes earlier that day. Michiko excused it as him being moody as per usual, however Mei could not help but wonder _what _had made him so moody in the few minutes he had departed from the beach where he had been in a good mood–at least for Oniyuro–albeit slightly irritated by the appearance of Jiro's friends. Mei knew their intrusions could not be the source as he usually regarded them as beneath him and thus not worthy of such a drastic change in mood.

Suddenly a disturbance in the earth broke Mei from her thoughts and the sound of footsteps flooded over her, causing her to stop threading noodles into her mouth in confusion. She did not need to look over her shoulder to know who was joining her as her other comrades would not visit her without their respective partners.

"Are you some kind of mind reader, Oniyuro?" She asked as she nibbled on a vegetarian pastry.

"Well, I can safely assume that you are _not _one." Haine smirked as he took a seat beside her wide-eyed expression of bewilderment.

His tall, athletic figure was compressed into a pair of tight-fitting, dark jeans and an ebony unbuttoned shirt that exposed his chiselled chest as well as the dark strings slung around his neck with a single gothic cross hanging from one of them. His chocolate brown, grey-hued hair fell about his collarbone in a layered mop, framing his handsome face as his similarly coloured eyes glanced at Mei with a mischievous twinkle.

"What are _you _doing here?" She snapped once she had overcome her shock, her pallid features now twisting with fury. "Did you _follow _me here? Do you just _thrive _off of irritating me to the brink of murdering you on the spot?"

Haine simply chuckled at Mei, only serving to increase her anger as he glanced out over the sea, almost disregarding her questions. Before she could shout at him and prod further for answers, he sighed in defeat and complied.

"I was actually _invited _here." He stated calmly.

"Who in their right mind would invite you _anywhere_?"

"My Hiyo, of course," He replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "She thought I might enjoy spending the summer at the beach with her and her friends, especially considering those Tamaki girls are looking for a _big_, _strong _crow to _fawn _over."

"How _wonderful _for them," Mei muttered sarcastically before a frown tugged at her lips in aggravation. "You can go spend your evening with those imbeciles and leave me alone then. And I will _have_ to give Hiyo a slap around the face to knock some sense into that _thick _head of hers."

"You are so very pleasant to others," He mumbled, stretching his legs out across the sand, relaxing as if he were welcomed there. "No wonder you have _so_ many friends."

"Firstly, I do _not _want to be friends with those absolute_ morons_ you spend your time with despite the fact that you are in university and should try making some friends your own age," She snapped angrily, baring her teeth at him animally. "And secondly, I did not ask nor want your opinion on anything and I _never _will."

"The more you protest, the more obvious it is that you _want _me." Mei scoffed audibly at his claim, rolling her eyes in irritation.

"I only want you _dead_." She hissed before shifting away from him as the fire blazed more violently under her increased fury.

Suddenly in the blink of an eye, Mei felt her body press into the soft, golden brown sand, her eyes once again wide with confusion as they stared up into Haine's seductively narrowed ones. He leant on his forearms as they pressed into the sand, bent at the elbows in order to hold himself up whilst his knees were bent on either side of her legs, adding extra support to his athletic figure that was mere centimetres from her curvaceous one.

Mei felt her breath catch in her throat, her figure suddenly paralyzed by the close proximity of their two bodies, the closest she had come to a male in her entire seventeen years of life. Stray strands of his hair tickled over her forehead tantalisingly as he laced his fingers through her charcoal black locks gently, admiring her features affectionately. She began to feel naked under his gaze, desiring nothing more than for a hole to open up in the ground and swallow her up, escaping the bizarreness of this entire situation.

"Are you sure you do not want _this_?" He murmured alluringly, his breath brushing over her gently.

"No." Mei choked out a single syllable, unable to collect her raging thoughts together for long enough to shout at Haine for the closeness of their bodies.

"So you are _not _sure and you _do _want _this_..." He smirked further, his hand dropping to caress her jaw.

His conceited tone sent a bolt of electric fury through Mei, finally allowing her to fixate her thoughts on his advancements and snap out of her astonished paralysis.

"As in no so get the hell off of me before I set you alight." She barked angrily, her limp arms now darting up, pressing her hands against Haine's chest, preparing to thrust him off of her.

Feeling her tensing movements, he quickly cupped her jaw before pressing his lips to hers gently, silencing her mutterings of death threats and obscene language. His hand entangled through her hair hastily dropped to her waist, snaking an arm securely around it as Mei squeezed her eyes shut, about to send a blast of blinding flames through her fingertips, forcing the crow demon off of her.

Mei hesitated as she felt the ground crumble beneath her, her body solely supported by the arm clasped around her waist as the support of the sand vanished. She anxiously tore her eyes open to find the pair hovering in the midnight sky, guided by Haine's gargantuan ashen wings. She hastily manipulated the air beneath her feet, suspending herself under her control, not trusting the crow demon to keep hold of her so high in the air.

"Why can you not trust me for a single second?" He muttered with a hint of hurt in his tone.

"Why can you not leave me alone for a single second?" She retorted, struggling to tear free from his strong grasp whilst maintaining her control of the air about her figure. "Now let go of me."

"I will leave you alone if you just trust me," He bargained, tightening his hold on her the more she struggled. "Just for a single second."

"Put me down!" She shouted lividly, curling her hands into fists threateningly.

"Just trust me," He whispered, curling his free arm around her waist to support her. "_Please_."

Groaning in defeat, Mei slid her eyes shut, reluctantly releasing her control of the air about the pair, feeling her body suddenly regain weight and begin to slump downwards. Instinctively she tensed her body nervously and grabbed fistfuls of Haine's shirt, anticipating her figure to begin to tumble to the ground. But no such fall happened; instead Haine supported her weight completely, his arms holding her tight to his chiselled body. She peeled her eyes open cautiously to find his handsome face mere centimetres from hers, his forehead skimming over her own whilst his hot breath smothered her gently.

"See," He hummed through the silence between them, noticing Mei's expression of disbelief that Haine had not taken the opportunity to drop her and irritate her further. "I am not all _that _bad."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here," She mumbled in response before tilting her head up, glancing at his broad, impressive wings. "I take it you are not a _full _monster."

Haine's arms tensed about her waist, his expression hardening at the topic of the purity of his monster status. He cleared his throat, quickly looking away from Mei with a frown now spreading across his lips.

"Touched a nerve, have I?" She sneered, causing him to turn his glare on her.

"I will tell you what I am, I am one of the most powerful crows, if not _the _most," He growled defensively, almost hurting Mei with his tightening grip on her. "So my heritage is _completely _irrelevant."

"I guess that means it is only a small impurity, you come from a pure crow family," She prodded further. "Except one of your parents is human, making you _half_ human and _half _crow demon, thus accounting for the colour of your wings."

"So what?" He snapped furiously, losing his temper completely. "No insult you can throw my way about my wings will be different from anything I have heard already, so just drop it."

Mei glanced up at him, meeting his gaze before smirking at him, speaking in an ambiguous tone that left him unsure as to if her compliment was genuine or a source of mockery.

"I _like_ the colour grey."

* * *

Mei sighed to herself, sitting up in her bed, still unable to sleep as she felt overwhelmed with embarrassment over her evening with Haine which she had promptly cut short following their conversation regarding his heritage. She had had _enough_ of his mind games. She smoothed out her oversized night shirt about her figure, wondering why she finding it so impossible to lie comfortably, well-aware that it was not because of her pyjamas _or _the foreign bed; it was because she was _anxious_.

As if reading her mind as one would expect of a best friend, there was a muffled knock on the door before the beholder pushed it open, gazing into Mei's darkened room curiously. Michiko's developed figure was compressed into a silken, ebony camisole and a pair of pyjama shorts, her violet locks pulled back out of her features in a bundle of curls as she crept towards the bed. She climbed onto it silently, taking a seat cross-legged beside Mei who remained silent until her friend had settled.

"I guess _you _are the mind reader," She muttered as Michiko raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Nothing, it was just something I was thinking earlier."

Michiko half-smiled before bobbing her head into a nod, trying to search through her mind for a route through which to kick start the conversation both were anticipating. After a moment of deliberation, she clicked her fingers, spreading her lips into a grin of triumph as she discovered the sentence she sought.

"I'm sorry for making you feel like a third wheel," She said in a genuine tone. "And for Jiro mentioning the beach to his friends, I don't even think he thought they would join us here, but still. I'm sorry."

"It is okay." Mei replied curtly, drawing her knees to her body beneath the duvet, folding her arms over one another before perching her chin upon them and resting them on her knees.

"What did you do all night? You pretty much left for twenty minutes or so then ran up to your room and did not come out for the rest of the evening," She explained before laughing gently. "I was starting to worry that Oni is rubbing off on you."

"No, it's not that. In fact I have no idea what is putting him in such a mood, especially because he seemed all right this morning," Mei stated with a shrug of her shoulders that Michiko repeated. "I just needed to have a think and some time to myself."

"I thought going down the beach _was _having time to yourself."

"Unfortunately, I was only alone for about a minute before my one man party was crashed." She muttered sourly, still unsure of how to feel about the events of the evening.

"Oh really?" Michiko's raven rabbit ears perked up with interest as a sly smirk spread across her lips, her dark amethyst eyes narrowing at Mei through the darkness. "Do tell."

"Well, you see, I think Hiyo may be trying to make me kill myself," Mei mumbled, pausing to roll her eyes at the image of Hiyo Osora before continuing. "And in her infinite wisdom, she invited Haine to spend the summer here with her and, by association, with _us_."

"_Haine _spent the evening with _you_?" Michiko gawked in confusion before returning to her cunning expression, teasing her friend playfully. "_Alone _with _you_, out on the _beach_ under the _romantic _starlight... Sounds like a _fun _night."

"Okay, you can leave now." She seethed defensively at Michiko who glared at her stubbornly before sighing in defeat.

"I will stay, but I will leave the Haine topic well enough alone," Michiko surrendered. "For _now_ at least."

"Good," Mei snapped briskly before curling her frown into a small, supportive smile. "How are you enjoying the holiday so far?"

"Today has been a lot of fun. It's nice to have Jiro away from his friends, to a degree at least."

"And how are the pair of you doing?" Mei asked awkwardly.

"You mean our relationship?" She cringed at Michiko's response, swallowing her discomfort before replying.

"Well I was trying to put it more _delicately _than that," She explained before her supportive smile returned to her pallid lips. "But either way, I am your friend and I am here for you to talk to."

"You are my _best _friend," Michiko corrected in a matter-of-fact tone before grinning widely. "And I'm glad you are willing to listen to me about all of this. Luckily for you though, Jiro and I are doing well, no obstacles yet. Although I do have an urge to push Komugi off of a cliff over the summer and claim it to be a mysterious disappearance of a measly human,"

"But aside from his aggravating ex-girlfriend and not to forget the delusional and equally as irritating Ayaki, I think this is going to be an amazing summer. And I am about to tell you something that I know will make you cringe a lot, and please forgive me for it," After Mei nodded in silent agreement to offer forgiveness for what Michiko was about to announce as she leaned closer, lowering her voice to a girlish whisper. "I always _thought _there was a possibility I felt this strong about him, but now I _know_. I _know _that I _love _Ginjirou Kouya."


	21. Chapter 21

Tehehe, I am on a roll, aren't I? Maybe I will actually finish this soon. Maybe... xD

* * *

**CHAPTER 21**

Days had passed since Michiko had admitted that she loved Jiro–albeit she admitted it to Mei and not him, but it still counted in her mind–and she spent those days in his company, trying to pluck up the courage to blurt out her feelings to him, but always becoming overrun with anxiety and resolving to keep the truth to herself.

Unfortunately, she had been left alone with her boyfriend most of the time as Oniyuro continued to barricade himself in his room and retain his foul mood. Similarly, Mei spent the majority of her time by herself, taking daily swims in the ocean and making sure she was never in the same room as Maboroshidou Haine after their encounter on the first night which she had briefly mentioned to Michiko before turning red and quickly forcing her to drop the topic. However, this bizarre reaction only fuelled Michiko's curiosity and made her make a mental note to readdress the topic when her comrade was in a more docile mood.

"What are you thinking about?" Jiro whispered in her tall, raven rabbit ears, waking her from her deep thoughts.

"What?" She blurted with her dark amethyst eyes wide and confused.

"Be careful, someone might start thinking you do _not _like listening to my ramblings." He joked, ruffling his hand over her dark violet straightened locks playfully.

"Get off!" She giggled, slapping his hand away, trying to slide across the couch away from him with a pout spreading across her plump lips.

He grinned mischievously, exposing his sharpened canines as he grabbed Michiko's bare legs, pulling her onto his lap despite her light-hearted wriggling for freedom. Her hourglass figure was dressed in an ivory baby doll dress with a pale purple lace trim, whilst her feet were tucked safely into a pair of matching light lavender ballet flats. His golden eyes narrowed at her alluringly, stray strands of deep blue falling into his handsome face as he skimmed his fingers over her bare thighs, a pair of wolf ears flopping out of his mop of hair.

"You look beautiful." He whispered with a growl as he pressed his lips to the nape of her neck, his hand trailing up to her waist.

Suddenly she felt his lips curl into a smirk against her fair flesh, his fingers tickling against her waist, sending her into an array of unintentional laughter as she struggled to squirm out of his grip. He protests only made his mischievous tickling increase, keeping a tight hold on her alluring figure to prevent her escape.

Finally after slapping her hands over any patch of his body she could reach, she managed to tear herself free from him, catching her breath and forcing her chuckling to cease. Her amethyst eyes narrowed into a glare at his snickering as she panted, catching her breath before slapping her hand across his chest.

"I _hate _you." She hissed, leading him to grab her wrist, pulling her figure to his, his hold tight on her.

"Well, I _love _you, Michiko."

She felt paralysed by his words, as if time had stopped apart from her heart as it pounded furiously against her chest. She stared at him wide-eyed, unsure of what to say. Did he mean what he said or had it just _slipped _out? She knew she felt the same, but saying it openly and audibly to him was an entirely different matter. Rejection at such a moment was not something she could handle, especially if he had only announced his feelings as a playful addition to their little game on the couch, not yet at that stage in their relationship. Which was understandable, she had had feelings for him since the day they met, but it was not the case for him, he had ended up entranced by Komugi, an irritating human friend of Hiyo's.

Michiko managed to pry herself free of her thoughts as she felt Jiro stare at her in anticipation, nervous and unsure of what to say as she remained silent. A grin broke out across her lips as she slithered her arms around his neck and repeated his words back to him honestly, trusting him not to hurt her.

"I love you too."

The moment the words passed through her lips, Jiro excitedly pressed his own to hers, locking his arms around her, holding her to him lovingly. As he began to caress her backside and thighs gently, the speed of their lips moving in sync with one another increased, their lip-lock becoming heated and passionate. She threaded her fingers through his vibrant-coloured hair, tugging on it softly in approval of his lingering touch on her fair flesh as their simple kiss became a feverish make-out session.

"You two could _at least _go to your room before rolling all over one another," Oniyuro's sneer froze the pair immediately, their kiss breaking as their eyes peeled open and darted towards the towering, black clad figure standing at the foot of the stairs. "I fear I may just throw up on the spot if I see _this _ever again."

"Calm down, Oni, the sight of these two does not bother _me_ at all." Reiko joked as she appeared beside him, dressed into a floral peach-coloured summer dress that fluttered gracefully about her dainty figure.

"Sorry..." Michiko squeaked, quickly darting away from Jiro as her cheeks burned scarlet before she glared angrily at Oniyuro. "But _you _could at least be polite about it."

"Surely locking yourselves away from the eye line of others when you are going to make-out is _polite_." He challenged with a frown pulling across his plump lips.

"I will try and be more considerate next time," Jiro intercepted, noting Michiko's growing fury. "It was _my _fault, I seem to be lacking in the self-control department."

"Anyway," Reiko quickly began, cutting off Oniyuro as he prepared to snap at Jiro. "We were thinking about heading out for dinner tonight, we could look around town for somewhere to eat, just to take a change from eating in."

"That and Reiko is frantically looking for a gift for Semu." Mei added as she finally descended the stairs, dressed in a pair of ripped skinny jeans, an ebony tank top, and a pair of camouflage-print converse.

"Why?" Michiko questioned as Reiko blushed nervously.

"Well, his birthday is in August and I wanted to get him something _special_."

"Trust me," Jiro added with a smirk. "There is only one thing he is going to want for his birthday."

"Jiro, shut up." Michiko said with a roll of her eyes, slapping her hand around the back of his head humorously.

After dusting himself off, Jiro climbed to his feet, escorting Michiko with him before exiting the house behind her trio of comrades. Michiko felt giddy once more as she entwined her fingers through Jiro's, unable to get the memory of their confessions to one another out of her mind, making her overflow with euphoria. She smiled up at him, leaning into his figure as they walked down the cobble stone path threading through the seaside village in search of a place in which to dine as the sun was about to dip below the horizon, highlighting the darkened sky with tones of persimmon orange and magenta.

Reiko walked further ahead of them, darting from stall to stall, anxiously searching for something to purchase, moving with striking speed despite her lack of vision, narrowing avoiding any collisions with other figures. Suddenly, the sound of Mei halting behind Michiko caused her tall rabbit ears to perk up curiously. She craned her neck to glance over her shoulder where Mei lingered behind, staring at several men sitting in a cafe, dressed in flawless suits. Oniyuro grabbed her upper arm before muttering something to her under his breath, not breaking his glare from the overdressed men. Luckily for Michiko, her towering rabbit ears came with the added bonus of heightened hearing, allowing her to eavesdrop on the conversation between her comrades.

"Let go of me," Mei hissed with a frown, wrenching her arm free from Oniyuro's grasp. "I swear I have been seeing those men all week."

"You are just imagining it." He snapped, brushing her accusations off.

"I am _not_. I _know _I saw them at the beach this morning." She protested.

"So? A lot of people go to the beach." Oniyuro was fed up now, placing his hands on Mei's shoulders and turning her away from the men, trying to force her into following the others.

"Get off of me," She spat angrily, folding her arms over her chest whilst narrowing her dark eyes into a glower. "If I see them again, I will give them a piece of my mind and take a piece of their skulls."

"Just leave it and get a move on, the others are far ahead of us," He retorted with a roll of his brilliantly coloured eyes. "And if you do _not _move, I will _make _you."

Michiko cleared her throat, interrupting the intense glaring match between her two comrades. Oniyuro glanced up, catching Michiko's curious gaze and, becoming aware that she was listening in on their conversation, shot her a warning glare that made her turn around immediately and focus on the path ahead of them. Jiro squeezed her hand supportively, noticing her sudden jumpy nature and immediately calming it with his affectionate gesture.

"What are you in the mood for?" He enquired before smirking playfully. "Food-wise that is."

"Oh you are _so _funny," She retorted, her voice dripping in sarcasm before rolling her eyes and answering his query. "I feel like something completely different."

Jiro grinned in approval at the answer she gave, easily locating a pub overlooking the ocean before flagging down Reiko, ceasing her search for a gift for the time being in order for them to eat. They quickly got themselves a table outside, the pub practically empty as it was far too early for vacationers to begin drinking themselves silly within the bar. After ordering their drinks and plates of British-styled food, Michiko snuggled into Jiro's form before smiling happily at her friends, not bothering to hide her utter bliss.

"So, Reiko, what are you planning for Semu's birthday?" She enquired after a silence had settled amongst the table, glancing at her blind comrade whose head was toppled in ebony spirals.

"I am not even sure yet," She complained, slumping her shoulders forward in defeat. "I want him to have a really _wonderful _birthday, but I am so scared that he will not like what I get him."

"Then you are lucky to have me here," Jiro announced with a proud grin. "_And_ Oniyuro if he wants to contribute. You see, you _need_ a man to understand the mind of a man."


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER 22**

"Reiko, I promise you look wonderful," Michiko repeated as Reiko ran her fingers over the garments her two friends had chosen for her to wear for the night of Semu's birthday. "Stop worrying and get downstairs, Jiro and his friends can only keep Semu busy for so long."

Reiko groaned nervously, her heart pounding erratically as she smoothed out the ivory off-the-shoulder, pleated chiffon dress about her dainty figure. The neckline of the dress was aligned with soft ruffles with the hem falling to her mid-thigh, exposing her fair legs. A satin ebony ribbon was slipped about her waist, fixing the dress to it, accentuating the slight curves to her petite body. Her ebony tangles were arranged in a waterfall of graceful ringlet curls that danced about her elbows, her straight-across bangs framing her pale blue eyes that were rimmed with a sliver of eyeliner, highlighting them beautifully. Her plump, shapely lips were coated in a thin layer of rose-coloured gloss and were currently folded into a nervous smile, concerned over what Semu would make of her appearance.

"Here," Mei handed Reiko a pair of shimmering ebony flats with an ivory bow styled onto them. "Michiko had a rummage through your shoes and thought these would fit."

She took the shoes from Mei, slipping them on before grabbing hold of her forearms pleadingly as she turned to leave.

"Do _you _think I look nice, Mei?" She asked with an anxious squeak in her voice.

"I think you look beautiful, Reiko," Mei replied after gathering her thoughts, smiling at her comrade gently. "As you always do. For once, Michiko is right, you should stop worrying, everything is going to go perfectly."

"Anyway, we should get a move on," Michiko intercepted, climbing off of the bed and smoothing out her clothing. "We will try and stay out for as long as possible to give you two some _privacy_."

Reiko blushed feverishly, ducking her head from embarrassment and shielding her reddened cheeks beneath curtains of her dark spirals of hair.

"I will grab Oniyuro," Mei broke the silence as she moved out of the room, lifting the embarrassment off of Reiko. "So consider us out of your hair, Reiko, and have a good night."

With a few mutters of farewell, her friends quickly departed as Reiko moved down the stairs to the ground floor with butterflies erupting in her stomach. The ground floor was intricately arranged for her night with Semu, the lights dimmed beautifully, leaving a romantic aura about the room that was decorated with crimson rose petals. An elegant table sat on the balcony that was illuminated by flickering candles, striking ivory china resting on the table in anticipation of the home cooked meal Reiko had prepared.

As she busied herself about the room, Reiko thought of her friends. She was grateful that her friends were so willing to give the house to Semu and herself for the evening, but completely baffled at the same time. Initially, Oniyuro had sourly refused with a frown spreading across him lips, claiming that no amount of persuading could convince him otherwise. However, as soon as Mei suggested they travel into town once more for one last evening out before the end of the holiday, he quickly agreed to leave the house with her and the others. In fact, now that Reiko thought about it, Oniyuro rarely left Mei alone, even in the house he could keep an eye on her, checking in on her frequently and ensuring she was safe. From _what_, Reiko had yet to figure out.

The sound of footsteps ascending the wooden stairs leading to the seaside home snapped Reiko out of her thoughts, her keen hearing alerting her to Semu's arrival. She quickly scurried towards the oven, retrieving the flawlessly cooked roast beef and array of roasted vegetables she had prepared, setting them on the table gently. After putting the final touches on her delectable fruit salad, she placed it in the centre of the Victorian-style table and then quickly ran to the door, smoothing out her dress before pulling it open as soon as Semu stepped before it.

He stood tall, his well-built figure compressed into a pair of black slacks and a button-down white top with a slim ebony tie loosened about his neck. His ruffled blonde mop of hair was combed neatly with a few stray strands falling free, messily framing his handsome face.

"Happy birthday." Reiko hummed with a small smile, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his, catching him off guard before he finally caught up with her, placing his hands on the dips of her waist and leaning into their kiss.

Reiko parted from him, blushing furiously before guiding him inside, her smile widening as he gawked in surprise at the transformation she had brought to the house in honour of his birthday. His dark chocolate brown eyes slowly adjusted to their normal size, recovering from the shock as she grasped his hand, lacing her fingers through his, leading him towards the balcony.

"I thought we could eat _before _any presents." She whispered before presenting the aromatic meal she had prepared with a proud grin that exposed her pointed canines.

"You are so wonderful," Semu exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his lips to her forehead lovingly. "But you really did not have to do anything for my birthday."

"Of course I did!" She challenged with a pout as Semu guided her into her chair in a gentlemanly fashion before striding towards his own.

"And why is that?" He asked with an arch of his eyebrows

"Because we love each other and I _love _doing special things for you–" Before she could ramble any further, Semu chuckled light-hearted

"As I do for you," He agreed with a smile. "And I am really grateful for everything you have done for me tonight; it's almost as beautiful as you."

With reddening cheeks and a nervous smile, Reiko quickly ducked her head and began dishing up the platters, her blushing only increasing at Semu's constant gaze on her immaculate features. She filled her plate with an array of fruits and vegetables, barely touching the meat that instead crowded his in hungry piles.

As Reiko sunk her fangs into each piece of fruit, sucking it dry before nibbling on the skins gently, she could hear Semu lightly chuckling at her adorable feeding, no doubt watching her with affectionate eyes. She struggled to fight off the frown that was begging to spread across her rose petal lips as she mentally cursed her blindness, wishing she could look at him in a similar way instead of a glossed-over daze. It had been a long time since she felt so insecure about her blindness, only feeling as such as a small child struggling to accept the fact that her entire clan had abandoned her for her defect. But, her blindness had brought her into the wondrous care of Oba-san and taught her to be a strong person to the point where she refused to even let her blindness disable her–except in her relationship.

She wished to see Semu as everyone else did, although she knew the consequences of his abilities, but a small peek would be all she wanted, even at that expense. Judging by the feel of him against her and of his structure created by the heightened sonar of bat demons, she knew _what _he looked like, but she wanted more. She wanted to see the deep colour of his eyes that other girls babbled on about, awing tenderly whenever his child-like form approached. Sometimes she also worried what _he _thought of her blindness, although it made things easier considering his monster abilities, surely he wished to have such compliments to his appearance, to have someone look at him as he looked at them.

"What is wrong?" Semu piped as Reiko inadvertently let out a distressed sigh after finishing her final slice of fruit.

"Huh?" She murmured, quickly shaking her head free of her thoughts, a half-smile returning to her lips. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing really," She squeaked, Semu eyeing her suspiciously as if immediately latching onto her lie.

Yet he did not press it any further. Instead he finished his meal a few moments later and placed his cutlery together, vertically along the centre of the plate. He grinned, leaning over the table and grasping Reiko's petite hand, cradling it with his own.

"That was delicious, you give me a run for my money in the cookery department," He joked. "What do we do now then?"

"Dessert _and _your presents." She hummed, lacing her fingers through his and guiding him towards the plush loveseat.

His grin grew excitedly as he took his seat, Reiko placing a bowl on the coffee table before taking a seat beside him whilst biting her lip nervously. In the china bowl sat an array of shimmering scarlet strawberries drenched in ivory cream, the finishing romantic touch to Semu's birthday dinner.

"Well, I have a _three _presents for you," She smiled, twisting her fingers over one another. "Which do you want first?"

Semu smirked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her dainty figure onto his lap before he whispered the answer in her ear sultrily.

"All I want right now is _you_."

* * *

An empty china bowl sat on the bedside table, now cleaned of its dessert contents, earning a smirk from Semu as he licked the final sliver of cream off of his cheek. His smirk spread as reiko rested her head on his bare well-built chest. She traced the dips and curves of his muscles before threading her arms around his middle, snuggling into his figure as the couple rested in the pale-sheeted bed, exhausted from their bedroom antics. Semu combed the fingers of his right hand through her long dark curls whilst tracing shapes along her nude back with the buds of his left fingers, sending shivers down her spine, letting little moans escape through her plump lips.

"Those sound familiar," He smirked, feeling her cheeks grow hot against him, her bat ears soon to flop out of her bundle of messy spirals if he continued. "Sorry."

"Don't be." She mumbled before burying her face into his chest anxiously.

He chuckled, pressing his lips to her forehead before pecking a trail of kisses down to her collarbone where he hesitated, instead returning to her own lips with a playful smirk. The pair soon parted, panting slightly before settling back into the bed, Semu dragging the duvet further up Reiko's petite figure, ensuring the cold could not even touch a single sliver of her nude flesh.

"Thank you." She murmured in a dreamy voice as the trails of Semu's fingertips relaxed her entire body.

"No, no, thank _you_ for tonight, Reiko," He replied with a smile as his dark eyes glanced down at her soft features. "This has really been the best birthday–or maybe any day–I have ever had."

"I am glad," She whispered back. "I was so anxious about tonight, I feared I would get it _all _wrong and you would hate it."

"Don't be silly," He laughed under his breath at the notion before continuing, keenly picking up on her insecurity from earlier that evening. "I could never hate from you _or _anything about you, not even your beautiful sky blue eyes and your triumph over a blindness that would have paralysed any other monster. You really _are _astounding, Reiko, and I will try and make sure _you_ know it _every _day."

Reiko gawked in shock before smiling widely, squeezing his middle tighter in appreciation of his comments, her insecure thoughts quickly evaporating away.

"Hey Semu..." She hummed, slowly falling into an exhausted slumber as she spoke.

"Yes?" He replied with a curious arch of an eyebrow before a smile spread across his lips, mirroring the one curling across hers.

"Happy birthday."


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER 23**

The next few days passed quickly and in what seemed like the blink of an eye, Mei had returned to the Saint Monster Academy campus for her second trimester, regular classes resuming once the students had been given a day to readjust.

The sun streamed brightly through the fair curtains fluttering about the French windows of Mei's room, awaking her from her tossing and turning for the first day of classes, beginning with History. She groaned as she slithered towards the end of the bed before plunging her legs out of the covers and onto the wooden floor. She groggily stood upright, her legs nearly buckling under the sudden weight as she was still not used to waking at such an early hour after a holiday spent at the beach.

"My head." She moaned, clasping an ice cold hand over her throbbing forehead beneath her slanted ebony bangs that held a single strip of white through them.

After finally regaining her composure, Mei stalked towards the closet, tugging on her somewhat exposing–and to her, utterly revolting–uniform onto her curvaceous figure along with a pair of hazardously torn ebony tights and a pair of worn-out converse shoes. She ran her fingers through her charcoal black hair, combing it lazily about her waist before shoving her paper-white hands into a pair of ebony gloves. With a frown at her appearance in the mirror as she smoothed her dress about her figure, she exited her dormitory, heading towards the exit where Michiko awaited.

As expected, the violet-haired rabbit demon leant against the door frame whose doors were wide open, leading to the school building, her hair tied back in pin-straight tangles, a few strands falling free to frame her attractive face. Her short, hourglass figure was compressed into a matching uniform and her tall rabbit ears were once again decorated in an array of studs and bars along with a single stud pierced above the left side of her upper lip. It was only when Mei reached the bottom of the stairs to Michiko's eye level that she noticed her amethyst eyes narrowed into an irritated glare at a pair of female feline monsters beside her.

Both of the Tamaki sisters wore the same uniforms only with the skirts shortened to expose their long, bronzed legs and the blouses of their uniforms worn with a few buttons undone, creating ample cleavage with Ayaki's larger bust. Her hair fell about her shoulders in an array of fanciful, glimmering pink ringlets, with sections tied back with a single diamond clip whilst Maki's jaw-length curls fell free. Matching single kitten bells threaded along a satin bow were wrapped around the necks of the Tamaki sisters, making them practically identical when coupled with their matching golden eyes and hair colours. In fact, one could only tell Ayaki from Maki by her longer hair and larger chest, a sign of her older age.

Mei groaned audibly as she reached the trio, Ayaki nattering away to Michiko enthusiastically, ignorantly unaware of the rabbit demon's hatred of her. Maki on the other hand was intricately filing her nails which were coated in a shimmering layer of fuchsia-coloured gloss.

"Mei, finally!" Michiko exclaimed, literally jumping forward with excitement and linking her arm through her dark-haired comrade's, desperate for a means of escape from the duo.

Unfortunately, before they could slip through the doors and make a break for freedom by disappearing into the crowd of exhausted students headed for the cafeteria, Ayaki quickly slipped her arm through Michiko's free one and signalled for Maki to join them.

"Come on, Maki, we are going to breakfast together." She stated with a grin that exposed her feline fangs.

"Wonderful," Maki beamed, clapping her hands together joyfully before rubbing them against one another mischievously. "I need to pick up my search for the perfect crow demon to marry me."

"Do _not _even talk about crow demons or I _will_ decapitate you." Mei growled with another audible groan, the memories of her evening spent in the company of Maboroshidou Haine burnt into the back of her mind. She had managed to avoid him for the majority of the holiday apart from occasional comments on his part and insults on hers, but she still did not need reminding of his irritatingly baffling existence.

"Just because _some _of us are not beautiful enough to capture of love of such strong monsters," Maki sneered before smirking vainly, twirling a bright pink curl around one of her fingers as she spoke. "It does not mean that those of us who can need to hide it, although it is natural to be _jealous_ of us."

"I am _not _jealous." She snapped lividly, curling her hands into tight fists and baring her teeth at the bright-haired feline monster.

Maki's golden eyes widened with fear as she quickly scurried away, no doubt to join the company of Hiyo and her comrades, staring at Kurou with eyes of admiration over his powerful status. Ayaki giggled at her sister before returning her attention to Michiko who wore an expression of disdain.

"It sucks that we could not see each other much over the summer, Michiko, apart from group outings to the beach... Then again you must have been _busy _with Jiro," She squealed with excitement, ignoring Mei's presence and Michiko's sour glare. "Tell me _all _about it!"

"I would rather keep things like that private," Michiko replied curtly. "My relationship with Jiro is just between him and me."

Mei smirked as Ayaki's lips curled into a pout, feeling triumphant at the fact that Michiko happily shared the details of her relationship with Mei yet refused to even mention a single thing to the irritating feline who was still deluded into believing they were the best of friends, better than Mei and her could ever be. Noticing the pleased, victorious look spreading across the godai monster's features, Ayaki scowled, narrowing her eyes into a glower.

"Don't look so pleased with yourself," She snarled viciously. "She would _never_ tell you _anything_."

"Believe that if you like," Mei retorted calmly, her smirk not faltering. "Whatever it takes to support your delusions of friendship out of what is actually contempt."

"You are _just _jealous." Ayaki challenged, folding her arms over her ample chest in a strop.

"Of what? You?" Mei snorted with laughter at the notion whilst Michiko simply snickered under her breath, an act of mockery that Ayaki once again chose to ignore.

It was beginning to look like she had selective hearing, clearly not registering Michiko's rude actions but easily jumping down the throat of any other girl when they acted that way.

"Of _our _friendship," She clarified, tightening her grip on Michiko's arm possessively. "Although I am _not _surprised, you have clearly been jealous of the gorgeous looks of the Tamaki family and my sister's ability to attract such powerful monsters. It is only _natural _for you to be jealous of me too."

"You are a complete psychopath." Mei snarled.

The bickering between the pair on either side of Michiko was cut short as the entrance to the dining hall stood before them, the aroma of a freshly cooked breakfast flooding over the trio of monsters delectably. Noticing Ayaki's distraction, searching for her younger sister as they entered the cafeteria, Michiko quickly grasped hold of Mei and disappeared into the crowd, escaping the floozy's aggravating presence.

"I thought freedom would never come." She muttered as they reached the buffet table, silently thankful that both her and Mei possessed severely diminished heights, ensuring they were not easily detectable amongst the much taller students around them.

"Why can we not just set Oniyuro on her? That will scare her off for life." Mei suggested with an evil twinkle glistening in her flecked eyes as she spooned a few bits and pieces onto her plate, whilst Michiko's was filled with vegetables or colloquially, _rabbit food_.

"Because we cannot guarantee that he will not kill her," She retorted in a matter-of-fact tone. "And if he does, _we _are at fault and _we _will face the consequences."

"_Fine_," Mei hissed with a sulking frown as the duo made their way towards the table at which the very monster they had been discussing sat, a monotonous expression plastered across his paper-white features. "But if she argues with me again, I will _not _act logically and can_not_ be held responsible for my actions."

With a roll of her dark amethyst eyes, Michiko nodded in agreement whilst quickly manoeuvring through the crowd of students to where the remainder of their quartet of friends sat, a soft silence settled between the pair as they ate. Oniyuro's tall figured was hunched over the table, drenched in ebony clothing rather than the school uniform he detested, but no teacher dared order him to change into it, fearing his infamous wrath. His paper-white face was twisted with aggravation as his golden eyes were narrowed into a murderous glare at the students that buzzed about the cafeteria, wishing them to drop dead on the spot.

Reiko sat beside him, her head ducked in embarrassment as her dainty petite body compressed into her alluring–and revealing–nurse uniform that Semu had required for her to wear, her tumbling black spirals of hair combed neatly out of her adorable features apart from her straight-across bangs that bounced along her thin, curved eyebrows. Her ears perked up as she detected the familiar footsteps of the missing duo, her head quickly lifting and craning in their direction, her plump lips curling into a gorgeous smile.

"You two took your time." She teased before draining a peach of its juice with her miniature fangs as Michiko and Mei took their seats at the round table.

"Unlike you we decided to cover up." Michiko teased, nibbling on a stick of fresh celery as her comment made Reiko blush furiously, her cheeks becoming bright scarlet as she ducked her head once more.

"Semu requires I be in uniform whilst on the school campus when on duty." She squeaked before nervously snatching another fruit from her plate and sucking it dry before nibbling away at the skin.

"Well, any man would enjoy a nurse dressed like _that_," Michiko joking, pausing briefly before narrowing her eyes in a good-hearted suspicion. "So you should probably stay away from Jiro."

"Don't be so silly, Michiko, Jiro loves you." Reiko exclaimed guiltily, taking the teasing seriously whilst Oniyuro choked on his mouthful of food at her words.

"I _was_ trying to eat," He snapped, dabbing his mouth with his cotton napkin before pushing his half eaten meal away in disinterest. "So can we please not discuss about such revolting things?"

"Oh grow up," Michiko hissed throwing an angry glance at him. "Or go away; I am _not _going to stop talking just because you are permanently hormonal. You are worse than a pregnant teenager."

"At least I will _not _be one at the hands of an imbecile." He growled.

"Why don't you just crawl back into the hole you came from?"

"Why don't you just crawl back to your moron of a boyfriend?"

Mei groaned in irritation, interrupting the furious argument between the pair, their sharp glares now darting towards her in confusion.

"How about the both of you just shut up and stop talking about all of this?" She intercepted, folding her arms over her chest and blowing her slanted bangs out of her flecked eyes.

"Why, does all this male talk remind you of _Haine_?" Michiko snickered.

"Please do _not_ even say that name," She muttered with a roll of her eyes. "I do _not _want to think of him."

"Well that _is _a shame," Haine's voice brushed over Mei, paralysing her figure as her expression became deadpan. "As we both know you cannot stop reliving our night together."

A wave of gasps erupted through the cafeteria from the many students that were eavesdropping on the conversations of the grey-winged crow demon. Mei felt her stomach churn at the embarrassment, her hands curling into fists so tight that her knuckles became ivory and her nails dug into her soft palm as she climbed to her feet rigidly. She narrowed her eyes, glaring up at Haine as his height towering far over her diminutive figure that shook with fury.

"We have not had a _night_ together," She snapped venomously, loud enough for all the onlookers to hear. "You repulse me in every way physically and mentally possible."

She swung her fist around with cat-like speed, her shot only halted mere millimetres from Haine's smug yet handsome expression, his large hands clasping over her wrists tightly, preventing her from carrying out the physical harm she had intended. She jerked her leg up, attempting to catch him off guard, but he quickly avoided her, holding her close to his well-built figure, immobilising her attacks.

"The more you protest, the more we _all_ know you want me." He murmured his grey-hued eyes narrowing seductively as they gazed into her flecked ones.

Mei dropped her gaze nervously, shifting her glare to inspect the crowd of onlookers, feeling her cheeks burn crimson in embarrassment. When she returned her glance to Haine, her expression twisted into a deadly scowl, she had had enough of this. Flames erupted from her wrists, scolding his large hands and forcing him to release her as he gawked in shock, cradling his reddened flesh cautiously.

"Don't you _ever _touch me again." She snarled, storming out of the cafeteria under the judgemental eyes of her classmates.

* * *

"I could fucking kill him!" Mei shouted lividly as she paced about her dormitory, her body still hot with fury and embarrassment from her run in with Haine.

She continued to growl animally in frustration, flames erupting along her arms with each growl as she shook with anger. She wished she had roasted him alive on the spot, at least then she would be free of his irritating presence. All she could hope now was that her violence would convince him to cease his aggravating stalking of her despite her insults.

The squawk of a crow echoed from the glass window, the whole room erupting with flames as Mei whipped towards the French windows, expecting to be face-to-face with Maboroshidou Haine once more. But instead an elegant black bird was perched upon the ledge, staring at her wide-eyed before peeling its orange beak open and squawking once more.

The vigorous flames vanished from the room as Mei sighed in relief, glancing at the crow she recognised as _Carl_, a single curled feather springing from the top of its head. After staring at it stubbornly for a few minutes, she reluctantly peeled the window open, allowing the crow to enter along with a pool of shimmering golden sunlight.

"You can only stay for a little bit," Mei muttered eyeing the open window to ensure Carl could leave as instructed. "I am so livid with your owner that I might have to burn anything that reminds me of the bastard."

Suddenly a slow knock came from the locked doors leading to her dorm, interrupting her one-sided conversation with the ebony crow. Mei turned towards the doors as a second knock hummed through the room, her body tensing tightly as anger once again consumed her.

"Speak of the devil." She muttered, preparing to beat the crow demon that played the part of her tormenter to a snivelling pulp.

But before she could attack the unsuspecting visitor through the doors she had bolted shut, an unexpected deep voice hissed through the wood as the beholder meddled with the door handles, realising Mei had locked herself in the room.

"Mei," Oniyuro muttered, his tone almost sounding like a question. "Open the doors."

"I seriously do not need you here to mock me for what that bastard said, Oniyuro." She snapped, his name rolling off of her tongue slowly as if she were accentuating the vowels sharply.

"If you did not realise already, I am not here to do _that_," He hissed back, fiddling with the handles once more before grunting in defeat. "Seeing as I can say whatever I like whilst being safely hidden behind these doors."

"Then why are you here?" She replied, combing a lock of ebony behind her ear as she narrowed her eyes at the doors suspiciously.

"Just let me in."

"Not until you answer my question," She shouted, her short temper shortened even further by the events of the morning. "In case you haven't noticed, I am not in the mood right now."

Mei heard Oniyuro sigh from behind the door, his twisting of the handle ceasing but he did not depart, his figure now resting against the locked entrance.

"Is it true?" His voice was now soft and soothing, brushing over her gently.

"Is what true?" She challenged.

"Is what _he _said about you true?"

"Of course not, there was no night spent together or anything and definitely not in the sexual manner he was impl, there was no night spent together or anything and definitely not in the sexual manner he was implying." She exclaimed in a matter-of-fact tone before once again flooding over with embarrassment and shame at the words of Haine.

"Okay," Oniyuro replied after a brief moment of contemplating in silence. "I came here to check if you were okay..."

"I am just fucking brilliant." She muttered, her tone dripping in sarcasm.

"Mei, I _actually _want to know if you are okay." He challenged, well-aware that she was rolling her eyes at his comment in disbelief.

"Why?" She said in a tone of sulking.

"Look," He sighed, pausing briefly before continuing. "Mei, you have been honest with me about what Haine said and I guess I should be honest with you."

"Honest with me?" She blurted in confusion, her eyebrows arching up in utter bewilderment. "About what?"

When no answer came from the other side of the door, Mei cocked her head in puzzlement, moving towards the entrance slowly, as if still waiting for a response from her comrade on the other side. When she reached the doors, she skimmed her fingers over the lock before grasping it and flicking it open.

As a click echoed through the room, signalling that the bolt was now opened, a quick shuffle of movement could be heard outside the door, yet no one entered the room. Mei felt a pit form in her stomach nervously, her hand cautiously dropping to the handle of the doors and twisting them to tear the doors open. Yet it would not budge.

"Oniyuro? Let me open the door," Mei whispered, try to shaking the door handles once more yet it did not move. "What the hell is going on? Let me out!"


	24. Chapter 24

Banks is seriously annoying... But cool in a weird way. xD

* * *

**CHAPTER 24**

Oniyuro narrowed his gold eyes into dark slits; the only light in them the shimmering ivory ring hugging his slim pupil, as he glared down the men before him, dressed in impeccable suits. His lopsided ebony locks shadowed his pallid face that was twisted with hateful expression, his lips coiled into a sneer. He pressed his back to the twin doors leading to Mei's dormitory, his hands gripping the handles tightly, refusing to let her out into the hall where the men awaited, despite her murderous shouts of profanity.

"What are _you _doing here?" He hissed furiously through his gritted teeth as a familiar, fair-skinned man stood before him, mirroring the scene from the seaside house a month earlier.

The man's thin lips curled into a sickly smirk as he stepped towards Oniyuro, matching him in height whilst his fellow finely dressed agents stood a few inches shorter, yet they too were not intimidated by the furious monster.

"How wonderful to see you once again, Mister Kuroi," He greeted in a tone of mockery, extending his hand towards Oniyuro with an arch of his eyebrows. "You may call me Banks."

Oniyuro glanced down at the man's hand, eyeing it as if it were rigged to explode before he twitched his upper lip in utter disgust.

"Banks?" He spat, mirroring the intruder's tone of mockery.

"It is a surname, Mister Kuroi," The man retorted, retreating his hand to the pocket of his finely pressed slacks before glancing at the men who stood behind him awaiting orders. "As you can see, I have had to bring more with me this visit; I have not forgotten what you did to my partner."

"Are you telling me you did _not _enjoy our last meeting, _Banks_?" Oniyuro prodded, his sneer growing into a sadistic smirk as the man's name rolled off of his tongue venomously. "Because I thought it was _wonderful_ and I would be _glad _do to it again to these imbeciles."

"We do not fear you, Mister Kuroi," Banks replied calmly, dusting off his blazer as he spoke tauntingly. "We are just here to get what we came for."

"You are not getting either of us!" Oniyuro shouted, blinded with rage at the idea of these men and their twisted organisation getting their hands on Mei.

Suddenly, he darted for Banks, his hands outstretched for the man's awaiting throat as he muttered under his breath in vicious tongues of dark magic. In a split second, he felt flesh beneath his fingertips, the beholder shrieking in agony as his flesh become singed under the powerful curse that flooded from Oniyuro.

Oniyuro felt his muscles relaxed as he released the corpse he held, allowing it to fall to the ground with a thud. A smirk spread across his lips.

"And that is the end of your little Banks." He sneered as he peeled his eyes open before feeling them widen in shock. Before him stood the unharmed, smug face of Banks, looking down in amusement at the corpse of one of his followers that lay at his feet limply.

"Not quite, Mister Kuroi." Banks murmured, chuckling deeply before he pressed his lips together tightly, his eyebrows knitting together.

He lifted a single hand from his pocket, gesturing towards the men behind him, signalling for them to follow his instructions. As he twitched his fingers in Oniyuro's direction, the men charged into action, swiftly sweeping towards him fully armed and furiously dangerous.

With a devilish smirk, Oniyuro flicked a stray strand of ebony out of his well-defined face, quickly dodging the fists mere millimetres from his features with inhuman speed. Each fist that came towards him was twisted back before a blast of dark, well-trained magic sent the beholder crashing to the ground, dead. Within seconds, the hallway was littered in an array of mutilated cadavers, leaving only Oniyuro standing, panting furiously with a lethal glare at the sole survivor that stood before him. Bank dusted a speck of blood off of the shoulder of his blazer before smirking at Oniyuro in approval.

"This is quite impressive, as always, Mister Kuroi," He remarked, slowly clapping his hands together in a sarcastic congratulations. "You truly are a magnificent monster."

"Is that why you remain on the sidelines whilst your men fight me?" Oniyuro snapped, stalking towards Banks, his gaze flickering between the floor of dead bodies and their unharmed leader. "Are you just another cowardly human having others do their dirty work?"

Banks twisted his lips into a wide, demonic grin, revealing his monstrous, sharpened canines to Oniyuro, distracting him as he gawked in disbelief. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the impeccably dressed agent appeared mere millimetres from Oniyuro's figure, slamming it against the entrance to Mei's dorm, pinning him down with his forearm.

"I am no coward," Banks hissed darkly, his pale eyes flashing an inhuman bright scarlet. "Nor am I human."

"Get off of me you–" Oniyuro began, but Banks simply laughed cruelly, cutting him off with a sneer.

"Then again, these bodies are not human either," With a wave of his free hand, the corpses of the agents vanished from the ground. "The cloning abilities of some species of monster are _very _impressive, fooling even _you_."

"But if you are one of us, then why are you with _them_?" He barked back, staring at Banks with a repulsed expression, disgusted that a monster would willingly join such an organisation, even going as far as to recruit others for them.

Banks opened his mouth to reply, but paused before a single word came out, drawing his eyebrows together in concentration as his ears twitched. His smirk widened as he released Oniyuro, dusting himself off and stepping back.

"I am afraid that is another story for another time, Mister Kuroi," He replied, his appearance reverting to that of a human. "And I thank you for making my job so much easier. You have not only led us to her, but you have also led your little lamb to our slaughter."

With that, Banks too vanished into thin air as if he were a mere figment of Oniyuro's imagination as he stood wide-eyed, a pit forming in his stomach at the man's words. He turned on his heel, frantically tearing the doors open and bolting into the room. He felt his heart jump into his throat at the empty room, a single window open with the unconscious figure of a still breathing crow lying on the ledge, the only sign of life in the dormitory.

He had fallen for Banks' act. The organisation had taken her right from under Oniyuro's nose and he had let them without a fight.

* * *

Oniyuro had angrily torn the room apart, searching every nook and cranny for any sign of Mei, for any lead as to where they had taken her, refusing to give up until a booming voice interrupted his frantic searching. Michiko shouted at him once more, demanding to know why he had not returned to breakfast with Mei and what had happened to the room. When he refused to answer, instead continuing his search, she dragged him kicking and screaming into the office of the headmaster with Reiko in tow.

"If you will not tell me what is going on, then tell him," She hissed as they entered the room, the headmaster sitting at his desk expectantly. "He can help."

"Please sit, Mister Kuroi." He stated calmly, gesturing to the plush leather chair before his desk.

"We do not have time to fucking sit around and have a chat!" Oniyuro snapped murderously, but the headmaster simply shook his head, not intimidated by the words of the enraged monster.

"Once you sit and talk, I can help you, as Miss Shimizu wisely said," He explained in a warm tone. "What has happened to Miss Xiantha and why are you so upset?"

"They took her," Oniyuro spat as if it were an obvious answer. "And if you were powerful enough to be aware of at least a smidgen of what goes on in this bloody school, then none of this would have ever happened!"

"Who took her?"

"They did! I do _not_ know who they are, but at least I tried to protect both myself and Mei from them," With a sigh of defeat under the questioning gazes of the headmaster and his comrades, Oniyuro continued his story. "They found me when I was young, stating that they wanted to _classify _my type of monster, only asking me a few questions. They sent new agents to visit me a year later, asking more questions about my abilities before requesting I show them what I could do even as an untrained child. I was reluctant, but they were masters of persuasion,"

"After noting what they had witnessed, the agents returned to their organisation. As I grew older and more powerful, their visits became more frequent until they sent someone to _recruit _me. To persuade me to join their organisation, but I had grown up since our first meetings, I was strong enough to reject their offers and protect myself from their more _physical _techniques of persuasion," Oniyuro paused briefly, gulping guiltily as he glanced at Reiko and Michiko before continuing. "They had not visited me at all this year, until the summer came. I was surprised they had followed me there, but I was not under the protection of the school as I am most other days of the year, so they could act as they pleased,"

"I managed to rid myself of them, but not before they caught a glimpse of Mei and identified her as a godai, swearing to me that they would come for her too. And now they have." His hands were clenched into tight fists at the memory, his head now hung in shame as his comrades gasped in disbelief.

"Why did this organisation want to recruit you?" The headmaster asked after a pause of contemplation, half-smiling at Oniyuro supportively.

"What does that matter?" Oniyuro spat lividly, irritated over the trivial questions. "It is not me they have taken!"

"Please calm down, Mister Kuroi," The headmaster raised his voice forcefully before regaining his composure and explaining further. "If we can understand why they approached you, we can understand why they took Miss Xiantha. From there we can decipher where they may have taken her and what they may have done with her."

"We do not have time to fuck around," Oniyuro shouted, raising from his chair lividly to tower over the headmaster. "Mei will be waking up in an unknown room, all alone, with those bastards and you want to sit and decipher every little fucking detail?"


	25. Chapter 25

One can totally see where I got the inspiration for another Love Monster fanfiction, I didn't think a title of a company would be so important. XD

* * *

**CHAPTER 25**

Mei sluggishly tore her heavy eyes open, her vision blurring into an indistinguishable blur as her head throbbed in agony. She lolled her head from side to side as her sight slowly focused, revealing her surroundings to her. Everything was impeccably white without a single speck of dust, sterilised of any life apart from her own. She could hear the gently wheeze of machinery, a device pressed against her mouth and nostrils, delivering oxygen to her lungs whilst carrying carbon dioxide away.

_Am I in the hospital wing_? Her thoughts enquired.

She struggled to push her torso upright, finding her chest tightly bound to the shimmering ivory table, the restraints continuing along her limbs, pinning her down completely. Her body felt exhausted even from the minimal movement, feeling as if it were about to dip back into unconsciousness. Panic began to race through her veins, her heart slamming violently against her frail ribcage as she gulped nervously, preparing to force herself free of the restraints.

"Calm yourself, my dear," A male voice paralysed her thoughts as the footsteps of the beholder echoed through the room. "I would hate to lose you mere moments into our first meeting."

His tall, slender figure bent over the table, dressed in a glossy, ebony suit that contrasting the painfully pale room. His ebony tinged grey locks were neatly combed out of his gaunt face, exposing his strong yet hollow cheeks, his skin holding a slight bronzing to it that was illuminated under the bright overhead lights. His dark, almost black eyes flickered from her appearance to the machinery to her left that beeped rhythmically before his thin lips curled into a sickly smile of approval beneath the mask nuzzled onto his features, supplying oxygen to him as well.

"We will have to be careful administering such a powerful dosage of anaesthetic next time, I feared you would never wake," He sneered in a false tone of sincerity as Mei bunched her hands into weak fists, preparing to strike. He clasped a strong hand over one of her fists, chuckling mockingly. "I would not bother wasting your energy on that, after all you need to conserve as much as you can to survive what lies ahead. And either way, we have taken certain _precautions_ to suppress your godai abilities,"

"This room has been starved of oxygen, preventing you from conjuring fire, apart from within the mask that supplies you oxygen, but of course, that would be done at the cost of your life. Moisture in this room is kept to a minimum and the room itself is suspended far above any ground. That eliminates two other elements. Finally the air contained in this room is monitored as is its molecular structure, the spirit or ether if you prefer, meaning if even a single change occurs, alarms will sound and you will be dealt with by our newest recruit," With a sneer the man shifted aside, revealing a second man, shorter than the first with a skeletal build and paper-white flesh that would have made him invisible against the fair walls if it were not for his black attire.

"Mister Imai is quite impressive," The man explained, gesturing to the silent fair one that had appeared. "His monster abilities permit him to place someone into a paralytic, anaesthetic slumber by a mere touch and his senses have been _modified _to be finely tuned to changes in the environment, meaning if you attempt to resist, he will plunge you back into your slumber."

Mei struggled to wrap her head around the man's words; frantically glancing from the man to the monster entitled Mister Imai, her heart beating so rapidly she feared it may stop as adrenaline poured through her veins furiously. She mustered up the energy to loll her head to the side, providing her with a fuller view of the two men as she struggled to speak.

"Why...?" She croaked out a single syllable of her question before her vocal cords fell numb, silencing her.

"Do not try to speak, we only supply you with the minimum amount of your required nutrients, allowing you to survive, but starving you of sufficient energy to resist the first stage of your recruitment," He glanced at her suspiciously before leaning over her once more. "But I suppose I may answer your question seeing as you will soon be joining our regime. Do you know what the world is founded upon, Miss Xiantha? _Power_. Power over others and you gain this by one method, _war_. Every society is founded upon war itself, be it one of monsters or humans or both, it survives through war or it is destroyed and rebuilt to challenge others once again for power,"

"And although human beings make up the majority of the world's population, you monsters pose a new problem. Due to your abilities that can easily take on a human being, _you_ could triumph in war and thus _you_ are the key to power. Many years ago I realised this and created this organisation, recruiting humans to form my cavalry, training them against your kind before sending them to retrieve the most powerful of you," The man paused, sighing in distress as he shook his head at the memory. "Unfortunately, many of you resisted and finally, after agonising research, we found a way to break you down to a shell of a creature and take you for ourselves, to make you the perfect soldiers,"

"When you are finally willing to cooperate, you will be given so many benefits, starting with greater nutrients and eventually freedom from your restraints. And then training will begin to ensure you are entirely suitable for war. Then at last, you will join the rest of your kind in the highest positions of our organisation, fighting for us and bringing us any powerful monster that arises."

As the man finished his story, Mei felt herself become frantic with fury and disgust, wriggling about in her restraints, begging to break free and curl her hands around the man's throat. He made her sick to her stomach, bile clawing hungrily at the back of her oesophagus as she glared up at him murderously. Noticing her frantic wriggling, the man chuckled darkly to himself, laying a hand on the shoulder of his pale-faced monster companion.

"Now, now, Miss Xiantha, we cannot have you hurting yourself, not before your training begins that is," He sneered with a sadistic glower that made her insides twist with furious disgust. "Just try and relax, you will be broken down eventually, the sooner you accept it, the easier everything will become."

Mei felt her heart rate quicken, the pounding deafening her as the man gestured to the silent Mistier Imai who nodded in agreement, making his way towards her. As he outstretched his hand towards her, her figure struggling to escape his paralysing grasp, the leader sauntered towards the door, glancing back at Mei to mutter in a tone of false welcoming before she slipped into unconsciousness.

"And may I be the first to welcome you to my creation, to the Pandora's Box corporation, Miss Xiantha."

* * *

Mei slowly felt herself crawl back into consciousness, her body aching furiously, still paralysed as she struggled to even peel back the lids of her eyes. She wondered how long she had been unconscious, was it minutes? Hours? Days? Months? It had certainly felt like the latter, her head throbbing so violently that she feared it might implode under the furious pressure imposed upon her cranium. The longer she spent suspended in her thoughts, the more she wondered if what had happened was only a dream, a figment of her imagination after a mentally stressful encounter with Maboroshidou Haine.

After further lingering moments locked within the darkness of her curious psyche, Mei felt her fingers twitch, her body slowly jolting as it regained its movement. It was then that her hopes of her run-in with the corporation entitled _Pandora's Box _being just a dream crashed to the ground, shattering like a frail glass figurine. She could now feel the restraints pressed against her curvaceous body that was dressed in a stiff medical gown, leaving her demeaned and exposed as she was held immobilised to a slab of metal.

She reluctantly tore her eyes open and confirmed what had formed a deep, numbing pit in her stomach, she found herself trapped within the sterilised white room from what she had hoped to be a nightmare. She could hear the wheeze of machinery along with the gentle beeping in time with her rhythmic heartbeat as she felt the apparatuses pump air into her lungs, allowing her to survive in the furiously controlled prison.

She let out a low groan as if she were had downed a mouthful of gravel, lolling her head from side to side, believing she may just be completely alone before noticing the wide screen to her right. The window was slotted into the ivory wall, opening into an observation room filled with men dressed once again in fine, matching suits as they busied themselves about extravagant machinery. One glanced at her, arching an eyebrow before jotting down an array of notes and muttering to another man to his left, their voices muted by the slab of glass separating their room from hers.

Suddenly she felt her body jump with a startle, her heart skipping a beat as a fair face appeared over hers, bending over her from his position behind the head of her medical bed. He was easily recognisable as Mister Imai, his head cleanly shaven, his narrowed eyes milky white apart from slender, feline-shaped ebony pupils. He cocked his head to the side, investigating her features before curling his thin lips into a smirk.

"I am afraid to tell you that you are not quite alone," His voice was deep and husk as if one were strumming their fingers along the cords of a bass. "I am present to calm all your fears with my _magic _touch."

Mei rolled her flecked eyes at Mister Imai's words, scoffing into her breathing apparatus, wishing she could curl her hand into a fist and plunge it through his paper-white features in irritation. His smirk only grew as he noticed her aggravation, aware that it was about to grow as his gaze darted to another corner of the room where Mei's restricted eye line could not reach. She could hear footsteps approaching and soon Mister Imai's face was joined by the man from earlier, the leader of the horrifically immoral corporation.

"How are we feeling today, Miss Xiantha?" He enquired with fake interest, Mei only able to muster up sufficient energy to grunt, her thoughts shouting slurs of curse words. "I see you have calmed yourself since our last encounter. Or perhaps you simply do not have enough energy to bite back."

His mockery made her insides boil angrily, making her consider perhaps using her elemental powers to at least inflict some kind of damage on the man before she was knocked into unconsciousness. It would be a small victory, but enough for her to be euphoric for eternity, this revolting man needed to be put in his place. As if reading her mind–which she was beginning to suspect he could do–the man's smirk grew, revealing his pearly white teeth as his mockery continued.

"Before you consider trying to put me in _my _place, perhaps you would like to know who put you in _your _place right here," He taunted her with his information as if he were dangling it in front of her face, knowing it would both capture her curiosity and devastate her. After a moment of silent deliberation, Mei gathered up all of her energy and lowered her head into a sluggish nod of agreement. "You see, I have been hunting for a certain recruit for many years, ever since he was a child. He allowed us to ask our questions at first, but soon he became wise to our intentions and began to fight back, in more ways than one. I have lost many men at his hands and sent my finest agent a few months back as he was at a seaside home, away from the pestering eyes of the Saint Monster Academy school staff,"

"My agent approached him with a willing sacrifice at his side, giving the man two options, coming willingly or by force. He, of course, chose the latter. I had anticipated Banks would leave empty handed, or perhaps I hoped he would, the violence that monster can create is astounding and the man we were seeking would not know what was coming to him," The man paused before his grin grew even more, which Mei was shocked was even possible. His lips now resembled a Chelsea grin of a joker. "But I had underestimated Banks' abilities, he came back with information of a new weapon, _you_. And thanks to your little friend, we were not only able to find you, but we could take you without lifting a finger."

Mei felt questions dart about her mind, begging to burst out through her lips, but she could only build up sufficient energy to murmur unintelligible groans. Once again noticing her desire, the man ducked over her, lowering his lips to mere millimetres from her ear, his chilled breath making her nerves sting venomously.

"Would you _really_ like to know who you can thank for all this?" He whispered darkly, Mei gulping before once again bobbing her head into a weak nod. "Very well then, I will make sure to arrange a meeting for you with him when we once again go after him. Just remember, all of this happened because of your little friend, Mister Oniyuro Kuroi."


	26. Chapter 26

I guess this is nearing its end. Bah, seems weird as I have had it out for so long... But weird in a good way. :D Hopefully I'll make it to 30 chapters, I definitely need to tie up loose ends with couples like Reiko and Semu. ^^

* * *

**CHAPTER 26**

Mei felt her innards clench in disbelief as the man chuckled, smirking darkly before sweeping from the room elegantly, pausing only to mutter a few words to Mister Imai. She could barely register the words exchanged, her mind instead aroused with an array of frantic questions at the man's words.

_Oniyuro is the reason I am here... _The thought exploded through her mind, silencing all others.

The idea made her heart skip a beat, her throat constricting anxiously as she struggled to wrap her head around such an accusation, denial pounding through her veins venomously. Mei felt her eyelids grow heavy, her body becoming exhausted as she reluctantly gave in, allowing her lids to fall shut, plunging her back into darkness. Her thoughts now erupted back into life chaotically, bombarding her psyche with an erratic confusion of furious questions and scepticism.

Oniyuro could not have done this to her, he was her friend, he had spent months by her side, treating her with as much kindness as he could show, despite her being an unfamiliar intruder in the Saint Monster academy. She _knew _that although he may be moody, he was not _that _kind of person, he may have snapped at Michiko rudely, but he still cared for her as his closest friend. Someone like that would not do that to Mei.

The thought of Michiko made her body suddenly paralysed, her mind recalling what was once said to her on one of her first days in the school. She had mentioned the visits he received from various organisations, seeking to classify him as a new breed of monster, but he often rebuffed their visits. If he received such visits from them, he could surely receive similar ones from Pandora's Box and their operatives. Mei felt her heart sink at the revelation, her body becoming depressed as it fell limp.

It _was _true.

She wanted to shout and scream in denial, but she could not deny it any further. It explained everything; it explained Oniyuro's strange behaviour over the summer months and his sudden overprotective attitude towards Mei. She felt overwhelmed with a swirl of emotions, disappointment and hurt clinging to her heart whilst rage raced through her blood, electrifying her back into life. She wanted to hate him for this, but instead she just felt saddened, feeling an empty pit forming inside of her along with the desire to find him and shriek at him.

It was then that it occurred to her that she might never see him again, she might never see Oniyuro again, nor Reiko, nor Michiko. If this corporation succeeded, she would only return to them to recruit them by any means, willing to destroy them if needed. She would never sit around a table with her trio of comrades, amongst the jokes and joyful conversations, never seeing those familiar faces again, never hearing another argument between the stubborn Michiko and Oniyuro.

Suddenly, a familiar smug face manifested itself in her mind, staring at her seductively with his grey-hued eyes, his long, wispy pale chocolate tinged grey locks framing his handsome face perfectly. His perfectly shaped lips were curled into his trademark smirk, the piercings dotted along the rims of his ears twinkling mischievously. After fully absorbing his appearance, Mei felt her blood boil at the sight of Maboroshidou Haine, his visage burned into the back of her mind. She bunched her hands into tight fists, her knuckles becoming ivory under the stress as she felt anger race through her at Haine.

If she could not bring herself to blame Oniyuro, she could certainly blame _him_. It was _his _fault she was in her room at the time, her guard down as she felt overrun with emotion at his visit that day. She could have fought back if she were not so distracted, if Oniyuro had not come for her and taken her focus away, concerned over her outburst at Haine's presence. She knew it was absurd to blame anyone from this apart from the psychopaths that ran the organisation, but she found her thoughts still could not leave Maboroshidou Haine. It was then that she realised what the emptiness inside of her was, she was alone and she was scared.

For the first time in her life, Mei was scared.

Suddenly a shriek erupted into her ears, the high-pitched cries of an alarm sounding through her room. She quickly tore her eyes open, darting her head to the side, noticing the many men in the room separated from hers by glass rushing out of the room towards the source of the alarm. As Mei became frightfully aware of her surroundings, she felt something tickle over the nerves of her cheek, leaving a sliver of moist as a trail.

Mei studied the tear as it crawled over her cheekbone, still undetected by Mister Imai, knowing she had mere seconds to act. With a twitch of her fingers, the droplet lifted from her cheek, narrowing into a point as she struggled to pinpoint Mister Imai's position. She pinched her eyes shut nervously before flicking her wrist, the bullet rushing through the air before colliding with its target. She heard a grunt then a slam as Mister Imai's body crashed to the ground instantly.

After pausing briefly, as if waiting for a siren to burst into life, but not such thing came. She glanced to the side, focusing on the anteroom beside hers, manipulating the air trapped behind the glass. Mustering up her strength, the air compressed against the glass, shattering it and flooding her room with oxygen. With a triumphant grin, Mei tore through her restraints, ripping through the metal with bursts of sapphire flames before peeling off her breathing apparatus.

She swung her legs off of the chilled metal slab she rested on, slipping off of the table, her legs nearly buckling under the sudden weight of her body. She sucked in a deep breath of air, the fresh oxygen stinging her lungs as she sluggishly crept towards the door, irritated that she did not have the time to idle around and get used to the sudden weight. She burst through the steel door with ease, opening the room into a long winding corridor, its walls tinged in a bright scarlet glow as the sirens overhead screeched in alarm.

Mei moved as fast as she could, desperately trying to ignore the pain that gripped her legs, exhaustion once again grabbing hold of her. But she kept pushing through, scrambling through the winding maze of corridors in search of an escape, narrowly avoiding confrontations with any operatives, well-aware that her energy was rapidly depleting and soon the entire corporation would be searching for her.

Suddenly the smell of fresh air brushed over her, electrifying her nerves as she bolted down the hallway, rounding the corner at inhuman speed as she followed the aroma. She stopped dead in her tracks as she slipped around the corner, her heart leaping into her throat, blocking her scream as she stared wide-eyed in shock. Before her stood rows of towering men dressed in matching, glossy suits, blocking a miniature window that one had pried open, luring Mei towards them.

She gulped down the lump in her throat, flicking a few stray strands of ebony out of her flecked eyes as she widened her stance powerfully. Clenching her fists tightly, the hallway became swallowed by darkness, the black tar erupting from the ground beneath her feet, whipping towards the men before her. It dragged them down one by one, the darkness devouring them, breaking them down into nothingness.

As the last man fell, Mei fell to her knees, her fatigued muscles unable to support her anymore as the charcoal tar slowly vanished, reabsorbing back into the ground beneath her.

"Help..." She croaked as she struggled to keep her body upright.

Her vision began to spin, crashing into a chaotic, indistinguishable blur as her torso swayed back and forth before crashing to the hardened ground. She squeezed her eyes shut, tensing what muscles she could for the agony of impact, but no such thing came. Instead she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist, holding her torso from the ground as she felt her back press to the torso of her holder.

"Stop," She muttered, trying to lazily wriggle her body free from the grasp that held her tight. "Let me–"

"Do you _ever _stop talking?" A comforting, deep masculine voice interrupted her as she was lifted from the ground, her mind slowly falling into unconsciousness, her grunts of protest drowning into fatigued slurs. "Save your energy, I promise I will never let you go."

* * *

Mei felt chilled, midnight air nip at her bare flesh, brushing over her figure, wafting through her loose ebony locks. She lethargically peeled her eyes open, revealing the dark sky about her that held a sprinkling of stars, the rooftops of silent houses dotted below. She clung tightly to the arms around her waist instinctively, fearing the danger of a drop to the ground below. The one holding her chuckled deeply, tightening his grip on her supportively as they began to lower, landing on the terrace of a glorious single story house rimmed by a well-trimmed garden.

"Home sweet home." He whispered in her ear, perking it up as she recognised the voice immediately.

"Why?" She squeaked in confusion, barely able to mumble anything over a single syllable. "You..."

"Well, I could not very well let anyone take you away from me," He explained gently, unlacing one of his arms from her waist and slipping the other under her legs, sweeping her off the ground. "You must be exhausted."

She grumbled in response, not possessing enough energy to resist as he carried her through the darkened house, easily manoeuvring his way through the dark whilst Mei found it debilitating, unable to see the features of her saviour. He slid back a final door, carrying her through the threshold before loosening his grasp on her, lowering her down onto a bed. The mattress was plush, moulding to her curvaceous figure–which she now realised was dressed only in a hospital gown–cushioning her perfectly, massaging her tired body.

"I will be just next door if you need me," He hummed, releasing his grip on her whilst running his fingers through her dark locks, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Just relax; nothing will happen to you here, trust me."

As he pulled away, Mei quickly curled her fingers around his collar, tugging him back to her impulsively. She paused as their faces were mere millimetres apart, his hot breath dancing across her nervous features as she glanced up at him vulnerably.

"Please do _not_ leave me alone," She whispered, her breathing quickening anxiously as he obeyed, cupping the small of her back as he slid his arms around her waist once more. "I'm scared."

And with that, she pressed her lips to his.


	27. Chapter 27

I feel super reluctant to finish this, I suddenly feel all clingy to my story. XD Hahaha. Oh well, here we go.

* * *

**CHAPTER 27**

Mei felt her eyelids flutter open, revealing a shadowed bedroom that was dimly lit by a few streams of morning light pouring through the cracks in the blinds. She felt her entire body relax, almost fearing that she would once again be staring up at the sterilised, white walls of the room that had been her prison. She turned her back to the sunlight, a waterfall of loose ebony locks pouring over her fair features as she tossed onto her other side. She felt her eyes widen to the size of dinner plates at the face that was mere millimetres from hers, still deep in slumber.

His wispy pale chocolate tinged ashen locks fell loosely about his handsome face, sweeping along his collarbone with stray shorter strands tickling along his well-defined cheekbones. His eyes remained softly shut; his soft inhales and exhales the only sound audible in the bedroom. Mei's gaze dropped to his bare torso, to the dips and curves of his well-built chest that she could still remember running her fingers along gently the night before. She sighed in relief when she found the sheet neatly tucked about his hips, her own figure dressed only in an oversized, white button-down collared shirt that she easily recognised as one of his trademark items.

"Haine?" She hummed, not sure if she was trying to wake him or simply confirm the sight for herself.

She was not sure what to do, part of her wanted to scream and scramble out of the house as fast as her legs could carry her, but even now she was far too fatigued to carry out such activity. The other part of her just wanted to lie in silence, watching him peacefully before drifting back into a slumber of her own. Her mind slowly began to drift to memories of the night before, of her escape and his rescue, of her utter fear as she clung to him. For some odd reason, admitting such a thing did not make her feel as sick to her stomach as she had expected, for some odd reason she felt almost _comfortable _saying such a thing to Maboroshidou Haine.

As Mei felt herself drifting back to sleep, her eyelids growing heavy, a mischievous chuckle brushed over her and within a second a pair of strong arms were wrapped around her waist. She continued to wriggle for desperate freedom as he pulled her on top of him, his well-built figure easily overpowering hers. With a sigh of defeat, Mei rested her hands on his chest, perching her chin upon them as she glanced up at him.

"Were you enjoying the show?" He teased with a smirk whilst she simply rolled her flecked ashen eyes at him.

"In my defence you were supposed to be asleep." She snapped, once again trying to pry herself free of his grasp with an irritated expression.

"I was _not _complaining," He whispered before switching their positions with ease, pinning her shorter figure down, straddling her hips. "I always knew you had a thing for me."

"Says the one who broke into the building of a psychopathic corporation to save the other," She sneered mockingly. "You are far from just smitten with me."

"Fine, next time this happens I will make a note to just leave you there." He muttered with a roll of his grey tinged eyes.

After a moment of silence between the pair as Haine stared her down sharply, Mei's gaze dropped nervously.

"Why did you do it?" She whispered, her eyes returning to his, wide and questioning. "How did you even find me?"

"I did it because I care," He replied in a matter-of-fact tone as if it were an obvious answer. "I was looking for you to apologise for what happened in the cafeteria–"

"As you should have, you were being a bastard." Mei muttered with a frown.

"Do you want me to tell you how it happened? Because if you keep interrupting I won't," As if pondering whether she could stop herself from interrupting or not, Mei reluctantly nodded and allowed him to continue. "As I was saying, I wanted to apologise and as I passed by the headmaster's office, I could hear your little friend Oniyuro shouting his head off."

Haine paused briefly, well-aware that Mei was about to yell at him for eavesdropping, but she quickly pursed her lips together, silencing her scolding.

"The headmaster called me in before I could leave undetected and filled me in on what had occurred, not without many protests from your friends though who I take are not my biggest fans. So I left immediately, I went searching for you and luckily for me, you are quite easy to track," Mei stared at him in disbelief, not sure if he was insulting her or not as he continued his story. "Then I broke into the tower, found you, and the rest is history."

"What do you mean I am quite easy to track?" She snapped, narrowing her eyes into a glare as he chuckled.

"You can always track the one you love," He explained, ignoring her expression of mockery. "And even though I _know _you will not let me forget saying this, I did it because I _love _you, Mei."

"Well, that is great, but I hate you." Mei challenged, trying to buck herself free from Haine and the sudden serious tone of the conversation.

"You are not that great of a liar," He replied with a scoff of disbelief. "You do _not _hate me."

"I might as well hate you." She muttered with a pout as he neutralised her attempts for escape.

"You have asked me your questions, now let me ask mine," He ordered before softening his tone, allowing hurt to spread across his handsome face. "Why can you not tell me how you honestly feel?"

"I just told you how I feel, so your question is moot." Mei stated with a monotonous expression of disinterest.

"I repeat that you are not a great liar," He continued to push the point, tightening his grip on her wrists, preventing her from even wriggling under his pinning grasp. "You love me."

"No, I really do not feel anything of the sort towards you."

"Why are you so scared of saying it? Or are you just scared of admitting it to yourself?" Mei felt irritation bubble up inside of her as Haine addressed her so patronisingly.

"I am _not _scared of anything." She retorted with a glare as Haine barked with laughter.

"That is not what you said last night," He teased with a sultry smirk. "And what a night it was."

"Okay, that is it," Mei spat murderously. "Get the hell off of me before I burn you to a crisp."

"Just tell me the truth about how you feel about me and I will let you go." He challenged defiantly.

"Over my dead body." She growled.

"I did not know you enjoyed having me pin you down so much," His smirk grew as he pressed his lips to her forehead gently. "At least tell me why you are so scared of _love_."

"Just because I do not say it to the first person to walk by, does not mean I am afraid of it." She snarled.

"What are you talking about now?" Haine blurted in confusion, earning himself another furious glare from Mei.

"You said I love you to the first girl that walked by from what I have heard," She replied, taunting him sourly. "You chased after an utter imbecile for years."

"Until I met you." He corrected.

"Wow that makes me feel _so_ much better." Mei stated, her voice dripping in aggravated sarcasm.

"Why? Are you jealous?" He teased.

"Of her? I would have to be mentally deranged to feel an ounce of emotion towards that moron." She muttered with a frown, refusing to look Haine in the eye as her fair features twisted with fury.

"Allow me to reassure you that the only one I want is you," He hummed gently before catching her lips with his, sending floods of an unfamiliar ecstasy through her veins. The pair parted moments later, panting heavily, Mei once again wide-eyed and bewildered. "I honestly love you; I have not been following you around for months and presenting you with my wonderful kisses if I did not."

"Nice of you to finally admit that you have been _stalking _me." She mumbled with a sneer.

"And that I _love _you," He raised his voice impatiently. "Just tell me why you cannot say it back."

The duo glared at one another, a stiff silence settling between them as each of them refused to back down, each as equally stubborn as the other. Eventually Mei rolled her eyes and caved, becoming increasingly uncomfortable beneath Haine and desiring nothing more to than to break free.

"Fine, but once I tell you why, do you swear that you will get the hell off of me?" After Haine nodded in agreement to their deal, she continued. "Okay then, the reason I do _not _say things like _that _to anyone is because it is _weak_. It is pathetic to leave yourself so vulnerable, particularly to a man when you are an independent, strong woman. If he is too insecure to survive without hearing those words from you, then I pity him."

After she had finished, Haine glared hard at her, willingly climbing off of her and resettling himself beside her. Mei struggled to identify his expression, not sure if it was laced with hurt or irritation or both. She felt a pit form in her stomach, guilt rushing over her, tightening her throat nervously.

"Do _not _sulk." She muttered her tone intended to be one of pleading but instead coming out as one of irritation.

"I'm not sulking," He stated curtly, refusing to look her in the eye, instead averting his glare to the ceiling. "I am just irritated that you want me to reassure you about Hiyo, but you will not say a single affectionate thing to me."

He folded his toned arms over his chest, increasing the distance between them with a frown spreading across his well-shaped lips. The hurt behind his expression was slowly creeping to the surface, making the guilt bubble up inside of Mei as her heart wrenched in her chest. She mentally cursed him for the effect his words had on her, wishing she could just mock him relentlessly then turn around and go back to sleep, but instead she felt a consuming guilt building up inside of her.

"Okay, I give up, I will tell you how I _honestly _feel," She caved, Haine's lips curling into a wide charismatic grin that she put a stop to immediately. "Before you get all smug, I will only say it on my terms. You are _not _to look at me or say _anything _until I am comfortable speaking to you again after saying all this."

With a roll of his eyes, Haine agreed to her terms, imitating sealing his lips shut and throwing away the key before glancing at her in anticipation. Mei sighed in defeat, tossing onto her side, facing away from him and staring out the window where dawn was rising, the sky highlighted with tones of rose and persimmon. She exhaled and inhaled deeply, squeezing her eyes shut as she began.

"Maboroshidou Haine, I find you irritating, invasive, disrespectful of any of my personal boundaries, and unfortunately, incredibly attractive," She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But, I will say this only once, Haine, I love you."

After a brief moment of silence, a pair of strong arms laced themselves around Mei's waist once more, tucking her body into the dips and curves of Haine's, his lips pressing to the nape of her neck gently.

"Thank you for that." He murmured into her ear gently.

"Stop right there," She hissed, wrapping her arms around his and entangling their fingers. "I thought we agreed on no talking until I say otherwise."

* * *

A few hours later, after Mei had finally given Haine permission to speak once again, he planted a few kisses along her subtle flesh before crawling out of the bed. He smoothed out his ebony boxers before snatching a dressing gown from a coat stand and slipping it over his well-built figure, making Mei mentally curse him once again for taking away the wonderful view of his chest.

As Mei was left alone in his bedroom as he busied himself about the house, she sat upright in the bed, wondering when she would too have to climb out of the bed and no doubt return to the Saint Monster academy. Would she have to explain what happened? Would she have to explain about the corporation? Would she have to sit through hours of interrogation? Would she have to disclose how she escaped to not only her friends but the school faculty too? Would she then have to explain about Haine to them all as well?

Mei groaned, flopping back onto the bed and crawling under the blanket. She was dreading returning to school already.

"If I had known I had tired you out that much, I would not have made breakfast." Haine's voice interrupted her huddling beneath the duvet as he shut the bedroom door behind him.

Mei reluctantly climbed above the duvet, straightening herself upright and clearing her throat awkwardly as Haine swept towards her, a wooden tray in his hands. On it sat plates of freshly baked goods, including golden brown croissants, an array of breakfast spreads, and sunny yellow scrambled eggs. It was then that Mei felt her stomach grumble so loud she feared it had a mind of its own, now realising that she had been starved of food for so long that she felt herself nearly pass out at the delectable aroma that the tray emitted. Haine climbed back into the bed, settling the tray on Mei's lap before tucking a stray stand of ebony behind her ear and whispering to her.

"I thought you could use some food," He murmured, brushing his lips over the lobe of her ear. "And I know you do not want to talk about it, but thank you for what you said. I love you too."


	28. Chapter 28

Bah, penultimate chapter.

* * *

**CHAPTER 28**

Soon enough, after forcing Haine to pick her up some clothes fit for the female body, Mei reluctantly returned to the school campus in Haine's arms, still too exhausted to transport herself with her Godai abilities. The second her bare feet touched the ground as Haine lowered her from his arms, Michiko burst out of the school building, her tall raven ears perked up in curiosity, easily hearing her entrance even from the outside of the campus. Her dark amethyst eyes widened and her curvaceous figure darted for Mei, encapsulating her in a tight hug of relief.

After she had finally absorbed the return of her best friend, Michiko's eyes widened once more as they darted towards Haine as he stood beside them awkwardly. As she demanded an explanation, Mei reluctantly admitted that although she had escaped the room on her own accord, he had saved her from the building. In a split second, a flash of violet whizzed past Mei and into Haine, hugging his side in gratitude, apologising for the harsh words she had often thrown his way.

"Michiko, I think you are starting to scare him." Mei admitted, her rabbit demon friend laughing apologetically before returning to embrace Mei once more.

"We were so worried about you," She squeaked as she broke apart from Mei, finally satisfied that she was not a figment of her imagination. After clearing her throat, Michiko extended a long finger from Mei to Haine. "So, what _is_ going on here?"

"Well, we... I don't know..." Mei stuttered awkwardly, her muscles tensing up.

Haine quickly grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers through hers, relaxing her immediately. She grinned up at him before nervously glancing back at Michiko who stared at them dumbfounded. After overcoming the initial shock, Michiko congratulated her comrade before grabbing her free hand and dragging her into the building, bubbling over with excitement at presenting her to their friends.

Reiko, with her heightened hearing, too realised Mei had arrived, rushing out of the hospital wing at top speed, her wings sprouting out of her back along with a pair of ears flopping out of her ebony curls as she was overrun with excitement. She bounded towards Mei, smothering her in a tight embrace, admitting all her worries as to her wellbeing and her thankfulness that she had finally returned. She too noticed Haine's oddly welcomed presence and after a few questions, Mei reluctantly admitted the truth to her. This was when she received the strangest response of all, Reiko squealed with excitement, embracing Mei once more and congratulating her on her newfound relationship, bubbling over with enthusiasm over the trio of girls having partners and all their opportunities to spend more time together.

The pair then explained to her that Oniyuro was in the headmaster's office, working in cahoots with him to locate and rescue Mei from the mysterious corporation that had taken her. They quickly escorted her and Haine to the headmaster's office, bursting through the door without knocking, interrupting the heated conversation between their comrade and head of school.

"What are you two doing?" Oniyuro snapped angrily, hostility in his voice.

"Oh keep the hormones under control, Oni," Michiko spat before scouting out of the threshold, presenting Mei. "You will _never _guess who we found."

Oniyuro stared at her in disbelief before finally shaking himself free from his trance and hugging her tight. After an exchange of words and greetings between the group of friends, along with desperate apologies from Oniyuro, the headmaster shushed them all, inviting Mei to sit in one of the plush armchairs before his gargantuan desk.

"Please, sit Miss Xiantha, I would like to discuss what has happened with you," He spoke calmly, gesturing for her to take a seat as she nervously obliged. Haine sighed, slipping out of the room, well-aware that he was not welcomed amongst Oniyuro. "Halt yourself there, Maboroshidou Haine, please join us."

Oniyuro froze in bewilderment, whipping his head towards the doorway where Haine stood awkwardly, reluctantly moving towards the chair beside Mei's as instructed. He could feel Oniyuro's narrowed golden eyes glaring murderously into the back of his head, as if wishing for it to explode on the spot.

"The rest of you may sit as well," The headmaster pointed towards the couch at the wall to the far right of his desk before glancing at Oniyuro warningly. "And please keep your temper under control, Mister Kuroi."

He muttered but obeyed, following Michiko and Reiko to the couch, sitting beside them with a frown, not breaking his glare from Haine's handsome visage. The questions quickly began firing from all angles, Mei taking a second to collect her thoughts in order to muster up response to the sudden bombardment of enquiries. She began to explain where it began, how she was taken from her bedroom, caught off guard without a second to react. She then explained the existence of Mister Imai, of his strong monster abilities to anaesthetise others within the blink of an eye.

It was then that she became nervous, finally revealing the name of the organisation, the _Pandora's Box Corporation_. She then had to recall the words that were said to her by the unnamed leader of the organisation, his insight into the world and his organisation. His plans for the future, for his army of both humans and monsters, collected at any cost, willingly or by force. When she had finally finished recalling all of the information she could regarding the organisation, particularly the information regarding the surroundings of her room, such as it being high above the earth, the headmaster jotted down a few notes thoughtfully.

"Thank you for answering my questions, Miss Xiantha," He hummed before propping his elbows up onto the desktop and lacing his fingers together, making a platform on which to rest his slanted chin. "Now tell me, how did you escape the corporation?"

"Well, there was an alarm sounded at some point and a lot of the men observing me had left, leaving me alone with Mister Imai," Mei gulped nervously, feeling heavily embarrassed as to what she was about to admit. "And I had found a water source without him noticing. As I had been left with a lot of time to be with my thoughts, I had begun to think about all the people I would miss and wonder if when I next saw them, I would just be another agent, preparing to force them to endure what I would have to become a part of the corporation. And then I started to cry,"

"And so I used that to neutralise him so that he could not anaesthetise me," She explained as she felt a hand cup her own out of the sight of her friends, Haine lacing his fingers through hers and rubbing her skin with his thumb supportively. "Then of course I had the freedom to manipulate the air and world about me, easily breaking the barrier between my room and the anteroom filled with oxygen, then breaking free of my restraints and the room itself. I had managed to get so close to escaping, except I came to a wall of men. I took them down by pushing myself to the limit, to complete exhaustion. But before I could pass out and be found, someone picked me up, and took me out of the building."

Mei's ebony-flecked ashen eyes crept towards Haine, filled with appreciative affection as the others followed her gaze, the headmaster smirking in approval whilst Oniyuro growled furiously under his breath in disbelief and aggravation.

"How could _he _have saved Mei?" He snapped angrily at the headmaster, practically shaking with fury.

"That is a question for Haine," The headmaster corrected, glancing at Haine knowingly. "Would you care to explain how you did this?"

"After you explained to me that Mei was missing and what little information you knew about where she was at the time, I felt I could not just leave it like that," Haine stated, clearly far more comfortable than Mei with admitting to such things. "The more I thought about it, the more I felt a pit form in my stomach. So I went to look for her and somehow I found her, it was like an instinct. _I _was the one who set of the alarm, hoping it would help me with finding her in the huge building."

"Ah, it is amazing what skills love brings us," The headmaster chuckled, clearly oblivious–or choosing to ignore–the embarrassment he placed upon Mei who was now blushing scarlet red. "I would like for you to stay and talk to me for a bit though, seeing as you must have seen the outside of the building and its surroundings. It would be helpful to have some idea as to where it was. The rest of you can leave, I am sure you are excited to be reunited with Mei."

Haine nodded in agreement, reluctantly letting go of Mei's hand as she stood from her chair. She half-smiled at him supportively, the rest of her dreading the earful she was about to get from Oniyuro, already well-aware of how livid he was from the expression spreading across his paper-white features. Michiko slipped her arm through Mei's, guiding her out of the room with Reiko and Oniyuro in tow. They had only made it a few steps down the hallway, away from the headmaster's office when Oniyuro halted in his tracks, his thrice pierced eyebrow arched as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Do you blame me for what happened?" He enquired, pursing his lips together into frown.

"No, of course not," She replied with a smile, taking a step towards Oniyuro, his figure once again towering over hers. "They may have _used _you to get to me, but you did _not _make any of that happen. The only one I can blame is the twisted corporation itself."

"Then why are you doing _this_?" He snarled, his voice now dripping in aggravation.

"What?" She blurted.

"Oni..." Michiko muttered warningly but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand, still glaring Mei down.

"Maybe I phrased that wrong," He admitted before curling his lips into a sneer. "Then why are you doing _him_?"

"Him? Haine?" Mei replied in bewilderment, almost not believing that that was what he meant. As she finally realised he was serious, her expression soon became one of malice as well. "Firstly, who said I was _doing _anyone? And how is it any of your business if I am?"

"Well I am your friend and I care about you," He snapped in a matter-of-fact tone. "I am _not_ just using you to get into your pants at the first chance I can get. _I _have been the one worrying about you for weeks, spending every second in that fucking office trying to find you and he just bullshits that he does it because of _love_. He could not feel love if it hit him around the face. I would not be surprised if he was in cahoots with the organisation itself–"

"Shut up!" Mei burst furiously, livid that he dare accuse Haine of such a thing. "You have _no _idea what happen to me at that place, no idea what I have been through. And I will not stand here as you accuse anyone of such a thing without any fucking ground for it. And how do you even know what he feels about me? You heard what the headmaster said, why do you think he found me _instead _of your whole team of searchers?"

"Is that the lie Haine spun you as well? That he found you with _love_?" Oniyuro spat, putting air quotes around the word love before rolling his brilliant, narrowed eyes in disbelief. "How stupid are you? You go through all of this and somehow think it is a good idea to trust that bastard. He has _no _morals; he could easily have been a part of it. And the headmaster knows nothing, he could not even help an ounce with finding you, how would he know anything about how Haine did? It was just a fucking excuse for being so useless."

"I am _not _stupid, at least not as stupid as you. How dare you let those people near us? What if they had taken anyone else? What if they had taken Reiko? What could she do? She would barely even know where she was," Mei shouted back, raising her voice to level with his. "In fact, do you know what those people said to me? They told me I _should _thank you for being there, that it _was _your fault. I have not blamed you thus far, I have not blamed anyone, but that does not mean you have the right to distribute blame."

"I get it now," Oniyuro muttered sourly. "You think you _love _him, don't you?"

That was it, hearing those words made something snap within Mei, leaving her no longer caring about embarrassment, only wanting to get the hell away from what her close friend was saying.

"Look, I do not _think _anything and what I feel about him is _my _business," She growled murderously. "But no matter what you say, you cannot deny that he _saved _me, he is the reason I am here right now. He has done _nothing _wrong so don't you dare treat him like the bad guy here."

With that, Mei turned on her heel and stormed away, heading back to the dormitory which men were not permitted to enter. Reiko and Michiko stayed put for a mere second as if deliberating what to do before shaking their heads at Oniyuro in disapproval and scrambling after Mei, leaving him on his lonesome with his infuriating guilt.

* * *

The months passed by quickly from then on, fairly uneventful apart from the further investigations into the Pandora's Box Corporation with Haine's aid, his memory guiding them towards the building where they kept Mei. It had been abandoned when authorities from both species arrived, but as the investigation continued, the authorities easily traced the corporation, beginning their arrests and prosecutions of minor members, but still unable to access the higher-ups. But it was a small victory for Mei, enough for her to feel a slight relief brush over her as she exited the Chemistry classroom, finishing off her final class of her final year of school.

"Finally we are done." Michiko grinned widely, exposing her slightly bucked front teeth, her silver Monroe Mole piercing glinting mischievously.

Her violet hair poured over her shoulders, bouncing about her hips in slightly waved locks, framing her curvaceous figure. Her dark amethyst eyes twinkled with delight at the end of their education, her arms clutching her textbooks so tight to her chest that they might have snapped apart. They made their way towards the cafeteria where a feast of roasted vegetables and meat awaited, the aroma smothering as they neared their destination.

After slipping into the buzzing cafeteria in which students bustled about with excitement, the duo quickly made their way through the buffet, collecting platefuls of food before searching for a table at which to sit. Mei could not help but mirror her comrade's grin as they found their allocated table empty; it was rapidly becoming a good end to the year. Moments later, a group of students entered the cafeteria, easily recognisable as Hiyo and a collection of her friends, including a familiar sapphire head and a pale chocolate grey-hued one. Michiko's ears perked up at the sound of her boyfriend's familiar footsteps and she quickly lifted her hand into the air, beckoning for the duo to join them.

Jiro's golden eyes found Michiko quickly, narrowing alluringly as he scurried towards them, Haine following him after he realised where he was headed. As they reached the table, Jiro took his seat to Michiko's side before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her onto his lap, running the buds of his fingers over her bare legs from the revealing school uniform.

"You had better not try that with me," Mei muttered as Haine sat beside her. "Although I am pretty thankful that we never have to wear these uniforms again."

"I think you look adorable in it." He murmured, his shapely lips curling into a smirk as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" She growled, wriggling free from his public display of affection uncomfortably.

"Don't I just have a wonderfully weird girlfriend?" Haine teased, ruffling his hand through her ebony pinpoint straight locks playfully, earning himself a glower from her.

"Get off of me and eat your food." She hissed before glancing at the other couple who stared at them with arched eyebrows.

"You two are cute," Michiko stated, excusing her staring before she snuggled back into Jiro's arms. "It is pretty strange to see you like that; it is like an alien encounter."

"See, Michiko gets it," Mei exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air overdramatically. "I am _not _a cute person."

"The more you deny it, the cuter you get to me." Haine challenged.

"Well then, your logic is just ridiculous and flawed." She retorted, poking her tongue out at him before plopping a slice of roast beef into her mouth that she had just cut.

"I swear she can never just take a compliment with a smile and a thank you." He added, ensuring she had food in her mouth as he spoke, preventing her from interrupting furiously.

"I return you to your earlier statement that your girlfriend is _wonderfully weird_," Michiko replied matter-of-factly. "What else do you expect?"

After Mei swallowed her mouthful of food, she held up her hand to prevent Haine from replying.

"Fine," She snapped before spreading her lips into a wide grin at Michiko and changing her tone to that of glee. "Why thank you so much for the compliment Michiko, I do love that you defend me so and that you understand who I am."

"Maybe I should date you instead of him." She suggested, using a stick of carrot to point from Mei to Haine before nibbling on it herself.

"Let me stop you right there," Jiro intercepted with a frown, tightening his grip on Michiko. "You are _mine_."

"For now." Michiko added with a triumphant smirk, batting her eyelids at Mei playfully.

"Stay away from my girlfriend." He exclaimed, pointing at Mei accusingly.

"Don't you worry; I will keep Mei very busy." Haine hummed seductively, leaning towards Mei, cupping her jaw before catching her lips with his own.

"Well I can guarantee that you will not be keeping me busy doing _any _of that with the way you are going." She snapped, pulling away from him.

"But there is still a chance I can." He challenged, grabbing her hands tightly.

"Not anymore."

"Am I interrupting something?" A feminine voice squeaked from the other side of the table.

Reiko stood before them, her petite body compressed into her revealing ivory nurse uniform, accentuating her curves as her charcoal black hair falling about her elbows in a waterfall of curls. Her straight-across bangs sliced along her thin eyebrows, framing her clouded over eyes that sat either side of a slightly upturned–yet utterly adorable–nose.

"Not at all." Mei replied slapping Haine away from her as Reiko took her seat before pulling the one beside her out.

Oniyuro stalked awkwardly behind the dainty student nurse, reluctantly taking the seat she had allocated him, his golden eyes darting towards Mei before falling to the tabletop, his head hung. The pair may have been on speaking terms for the benefit of the friends they shared, but every time they spoke the pair would lose their tempers, leaving Mei still furious with Oniyuro for the insults he threw both her way and Haine's. Before anyone could question why Oniyuro was present, Reiko began to explain.

"I have news for all of you," She murmured, her voice shaking nervously as she twisted her fingers over one another. "Today was the last day of my training; I have excelled faster than any other student."

"That's brilliant, congratulations!" Michiko exclaimed jovially, but before anyone else could congratulate Reiko, she continued explaining.

"But that is not the only news I have for you," She continued. "You see, Semu called me into his office this afternoon and everything was perfectly made up, it was really romantic. And then... Well..."

She trailed off nervously before gulping and presenting her left hand towards them, tearing it from the protective grasp of her other hand. An unfamiliar silver band was wrapped around her ring finger, hugging it tightly. In the centre sat a flawlessly cut sapphire, glinting in the light of the cafeteria, with a few smaller diamonds extended from the centre gem.

"What is _that_?" Oniyuro snapped in confusion, Reiko rolling her eyes at him.

"It is an engagement ring." She stated, her voice shaking once more as her nerves overcame her as to what her friends were about to say.

"Congratulations, sweetheart–"

"Reiko, you are twenty," Oniyuro interrupted Michiko's kind congratulations with a sneer. "You are _far _too young to be getting married. What about being a nurse? Do you not care about your career? Marrying your mentor does not exactly look good on a résumé."

"Oni..." Michiko hissed warningly.

"No, he is right," Mei defended, glancing at him supportively. A moment of silence settled between the pair, the first time she had said something kind towards Oniyuro's sharp views since her return to school. He could not help but smile at her which she mirrored back before returning her attention to Reiko. "You are free to do what you like, Reiko, but just be careful. Do not make any rash decisions, marriage is a _big_ step and you _are_ only twenty."

"I am turning twenty one in a few days actually," Reiko replied before grinning widely, exposing her pointed canines. "And we are _not _getting married, at least not any time soon. But this is Semu's way of promising me that someday our relationship will go that far and because our lives will be busy with our work, it is a way to always have a bit of him with me and remind myself that we are going to be bonded together for eternity."

"Oh, well, I guess that _is _okay." Oniyuro mumbled sheepishly.

"Congratulations!" The monsters cheered in unison after a moment of absorption, Michiko quickly busying herself about the beautiful ring that Semu had gotten Reiko curiously.

"So when are _we _going to get married?" Haine whispered with a smile as Mei cleaned her plate of any food.

"At the rate you are going, _never_." She replied, spreading her lips into a victorious smirk.

"Come on, you admitted it yourself, I broke into a _psychopathic _organisation to save you," He pouted, slipping an arm around her waist and tugging her close to him. "Surely that gives me a few points; I mean I must be _at least _your first choice for a husband."

"Maybe," She stated vaguely, her smirk only growing as he stared at her impatiently. "I guess you will just have to wait and see."


	29. Epilogue

Well this is it. The last chapter. Here we go.

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

The first frost of winter had settled about the well-groomed field, light conversation buzzing about the few figures that took their seats upon rigid ebony chairs, their figures donned in extravagant dresses and light coats, insulating their forms. Mei exhaled with a squeak as Michiko tugged on the strings of her charcoal black corset, fastening it to her figure as she leant against the front seat of the rabbit demon's glossy vintage vehicle. After finally returning to an upright position, Mei smoothed out her ruffled skirt about her fair legs before combing her fingers through her pinpoint straight dark locks, settling them about her accentuated waist. She turned to her lifelong friend with an arch of her eyebrows, her ashen flecked eyes searching for approval on how she looked.

"You look great," She beamed, her charcoal rimmed dark amethyst eyes glittering with excitement.

Michiko ruffled her lace glove clad hand through Mei's slanted bangs, ensuring the single strip of ivory was visible through them before guiding her out of the vehicle gently. Michiko's curvaceous figure was dressed in a strapless violet dress, the waist hugged by a laced rim, emphasizing her already well-developed bust whilst the loose skirt hid the slight bump that was beginning to form along her lower abdomen. Her dark purple locks were cut to her collarbone, bouncing about it in an array of lustrous curls that framed her attractive face that did not look as if it had aged a single day since their school years. Above her glossed over lips sat a single ebony stud, pierced over the left of her upper lip, forming her trademark Monroe Mole whilst matching the tall raven rabbit ears that poked out of her curled hair.

"Are you still feeling nauseous?" Mei piped, but she simply brushed off her concern with a grin that revealed her slightly bucked teeth.

"Don't you worry about me," She replied with a chuckle. "Today is my day to worry about _you_."

"Well I would love to take some of the attention off of me before the ceremony or I am going to march back into that car," She challenged before grinning back at Michiko, the pair standing as if their short, voluptuous figures were completely impervious to the nipping cold. "When do you learn the sex?"

"We learn the sex _and _quantity pretty soon," Michiko explained, placing a soft hand on her stomach affectionately before glancing at Mei with an awkward frown. "Reiko keeps offering to do it for us, especially has her and Semu's clinic have a monster with certain abilities, but that kind of creeps me out. I do not really want a friend of so many years know what goes on in my uterus."

"We all went to see what was going on in Reiko's both times," Mei defended, arching an eyebrow at Michiko in confusion as she continued. "Why are you concerned about quantity?"

"Let's see, I am a rabbit demon and my wonderful husband is a wolf demon, both animals reproduce like crazy and often in litters," She stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "So chances are I am going to end up with about fifty children."

"That will be a fun day at the hospital. Now you see why I have not had _any _yet."

"Don't worry, your time will come," She teased with a smirk. "Trust me."

The sound of gentle footsteps gliding across the stiff grass alerted the pair as a dainty figure bounded towards them, dressed in a pixie dress of ivory and pale rose tones, her slender legs compressed into a pair of ivory tights with her feet hugged by a pair of ballet flats. Spirals of ebony swept about Reiko's petite form, sections of it pinned back elegantly with silver pins with pink sapphire flowers along the edges. Her pale blue-grey eyes were rimmed with soft eyeliner, framed by her straight-across bangs whilst sitting on either side of her adorable slightly upturned nose.

Her arms cradled a small baby, dressed in a pale lemon dress with a hand knit cardigan, ensuring none of her skin was bare for the cold to gnaw at. From her hair sprouted a bundle of golden locks, tickling over her fair flesh as she slumbered peacefully in her mother's arms, her long ebony lashes brushing over her cherub cheeks as a pacifier gently sat in between her rose petal lips, her miniature set of fangs digging into the pacifier as she slept.

"You two need to get a move on, you really do not want to be late," Reiko beamed with a grin that revealed her own pointed fangs. "Wow, Mei, I am sure you look gorgeous."

"Thanks for the sentiment," Mei joked, the duo creeping closer to Reiko, glancing at the young monster softly. "Aiko has gotten so big since I last saw her."

"Just wait until you see the boys," Reiko added with a beam. "They are definitely out of the toddler stage."

"Are any of their monster abilities coming out yet?"

"I am not sure, for obvious reasons," She was referring to her lack of sight that the daughter she cradled mirrored. "But they definitely have their sight and Eiji has just learnt how to use his wings. I am starting to fear that the both of them will have Semu's sight though. Imagine that, a whole trio of medusa monsters."

The trio of girls laughed at the memories of the mischief Reiko's husband's abilities had caused over the years, particularly when he was graced with his wife's alluring company. Even little Aiko peeled her clouded over eyes open, bubbles of adorable laughter escaping through her lips before she snuggled back into Reiko's embrace, the corners of her lips curling into a childish smile. Michiko awed with a squeal, once again clasping a hand over her stomach whilst her grin became one of anticipation.

"I think I might _actually _be looking forward to having my own children," She admitted before glancing at her friend seriously. "But if this ends up being more than twins, I will have to check myself into a mental asylum in preparation."

"It is _not _that bad." Reiko replied with a shake of her head.

"For you, you love children. In fact you are the most maternal person I have _ever _met." Michiko stated.

"She has a point." Mei added.

With a few more words of reassurance and a tight embrace of congratulations, the trio of comrades locked Michiko's car and guided Mei towards the field where the small wedding ceremony awaited. As they reached a tall, familiar figure that waited before the row of chairs, the duo reluctantly parted from Mei, pecking her on the cheek and whispering congratulations once more before returning to their partners.

Semu welcomed Reiko with a grin, two young boys, Eiji and Eiri, sitting alongside him with ruffled mops of ebony locks, dressed in ivory collared shirts and ebony slacks, their blazers neatly folded on their laps. They grinned at their mother as well with excitement, bursting out into whispers of conversation before she shushed them for the ceremony strictly. It was almost strange seeing Reiko act so strict to anyone, let alone her sons, but she was quite the disciplinarian where Semu could not be.

Michiko sat alongside Reiko, her sapphire-haired wolf demon husband slipping his arm around her waist affectionately. He left a lingering kiss on her plump lips before snuggling her figure into his, their fingers lacing between one another as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

"You look beautiful, Mei." Oniyuro's voice interrupted her thoughts as she halted at his side, staring down the aisle he was about to walk her down.

"Thank you," She replied with a grateful smile spreading across her pale lips. "You don't look so bad yourself."

His full lips curved into a smile her comment, his narrow golden, ivory-highlighted eyes glancing down at her, tracing her figure before his smile grew once more in approval of her dark apparel. His towering figure was compressed into a pair of black slacks held to his hips by studded belt, a button-down ebony top with a loose slim tie loosely swept around his neck, and his feet stuffed into a pair of glossy equally as dark shoes. His shiny black hair was cropped about the back and right side, clinging to the nape of his neck whilst the left hung far passed her slanted jaw, sweeping over his forehead and shadowing his eye darkly. His high cheekbones were even more defined as he grew older, yet his appearance was equally as youthful as all other monsters, many humans believing that they almost defied the effects of aging.

"What a conventional dress." He teased with an arch of his thrice black hoop pierced right eyebrow.

"Yeah, because _you _are the most normal person around," She retorted with a roll of her eyes before grinning up at Oniyuro appreciatively. "Thank you for doing this."

He shook his head, insisting it was nothing to escort her down the aisle in the place of her deceased parents, she meant a lot to him and he was happy to help, that and it gave him something to hold over Michiko's head for the rest of their lives. After a little more witty banter, the ceremony commenced, Oniyuro leading her down the aisle graciously, the onlookers both baffled and impressed by her choice of dress. Amongst the small crowd, Mei could identify many members of the Xiantha clan, including her grandmother, Kimie A. Xiantha, as well as a few comrades of Haine–who she reluctantly allowed to attend–and her own companions. As they reached the end of the aisle, Oniyuro planted a single longing peck on her cheek before retreating to sit alongside Reiko, Michiko, and their partners–and in Reiko's case, children.

Maboroshidou Haine turned to glance at his wife to be, his shapely lips folding into his charismatic smile as he shook his wispy light chocolate tinged ashen locks out of his handsome visage, his similarly coloured, grey-hued eyes narrowing at Mei with seductive affection. His tall, well-built figure was slipped into a dark suit, his legs encased in a pair of finely pressed black slacks whilst a blazer was slipped onto his chest, an ebony collared shirt clinging to his chiselled torso, Haine well-aware that Mei still felt fury towards ivory and ebony styled impeccable suits from her encounter with the _Pandora's Box Corporation_.

As Mei reached him, he took her petite hands in his large strong ones, holding them tightly and affectionately. Once the speaker began to conduct the ceremony, Mei refusing to have a lavishly dressed minister present, the couple whispered amongst themselves, his booming voice easily drowning their words out from the audience.

"Better late than never, right?" Mei snickered, well-aware that Haine had spent many years impatiently waiting for marriage to finally become a reality for the couple.

"I suppose," He teased. "Could you not bring yourself to wear a white dress? Not that this one is not incredibly sexy."

"Just be thankful that I did not make _you _wear the dress," She challenged with a wide smirk. "Although, the day is not over yet, I can still torture you so watch what you say."

"After being in a relationship with you for so many years, I have given up on watching what I say and grown used to the torture." He replied with a mischievous smile.

"Oh do _not _pretend you don't love it."

"I would not dare," Haine murmured before lowering himself, his lips mere millimetres from her ear. "In fact it just makes me want you even more."

Within a second he had returned to his upright position, grinning down at Mei knowingly as her wide-eyed look was soon replaced with a smirk once more. A few minutes later the phase the pair had been waiting for to bring the ceremony Mei dreaded to an end brushed over them after they had been legally regarded as man and wife.

"And with that, you may now kiss the bride."

* * *

The service at their secluded home ended as soon as possible after the ceremony, Mei quickly filing everyone out of the house politely, leaving only a few of her friends, and reluctantly Haine's too, behind for idle conversation. They all sat in the quaint living room, sipping away at cups of freshly brewed, steaming jasmine tea which filled the room in a delectable aroma. As Jiro, Semu, and a few other males spoke amongst themselves, Mei shuffled away from the testosterone filled area and settled herself amongst Michiko, Reiko, and Oniyuro.

"How did you guys enjoy the ceremony?" She enquired as she settled into a plush armchair, folding her legs underneath her figure.

"It was dreadfully boring." Michiko teased playfully as she cradled Aiko in her arms, Reiko busying herself trying to keep her twin boys calmly sitting on the couch with her whilst giving Michiko an insight into motherhood.

"Then maybe you should not have come." Mei teased back.

"Relax, I am just kidding," She clarified whilst gently bouncing Aiko in her arms as she began to stir. "On the plus side, I think I may have mastered motherhood."

"I am not kidding, it was boring as hell. I have sat through three of those by now, seriously, no one get divorced. I will not sit through another." Oniyuro complained with a roll of his eyes, slumping into his chair.

"And you do not master motherhood in an afternoon, Michiko," Reiko corrected after finally having Eiji and Eiri settle, the duo tuckered out from the hours they spent running the length of the field where the wedding was held. "Plus you still have to master pregnancy; it is not the most fun in the world."

"Then why did you do it a second time?"

"Because what would I do without my beautiful little Aiko?" She beamed, taking her daughter from Michiko as she began to become restless, snatching a bottle from her bag to feed the bright-haired infant. "And I could never handle being the only woman in a family of crazed males."

"I really hope my kids are not all boys." Michiko added in agreement.

"Really? I actually prefer boys to girls," Mei admitted, flicking a stray strand of ebony out of her eyes. "I swear if I went through all the trouble of birth to have a cutesy girl who grew up to end up like Hiyo or one of the Tamaki sisters, I would probably jump off of a cliff."

"That's true," Michiko mumbled thoughtfully. "Imagine the horror if I had a daughter and she ended up looking like Komugi. I would ask you just to kill me now if I thought that was coming."

"I guess any daughter of yours will be prohibited from pigtails then." Oniyuro piped as she frantically nodded in agreement.

"Definitely and I am sure Mei agrees with me on that."

"I am not exactly planning ahead for children right now," Mei replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I have only just made it over the hurdle of marriage."

"Come on, being married to me is not _that _much of a burden," Haine's voice froze her in her seat as his arms suddenly wrapped about her shorter form, picking her up with great ease. "I hope you three don't mind, but I need to borrow my wife for a moment."

After receiving three nods of approval, Haine swept out of the room, Mei in tow despite her wriggling and curses of protest. Eventually he set her down upon the balcony overlooking the extensive forest surrounding their home, decorated by a thin layer of ivory snowflakes. He dropped his hand to hers, entwining their fingers together before smirking at her.

"Enjoying all the baby talk, are we?" He prodded as she rolled her eyes.

"What did I tell you about eavesdropping?" She retorted, playfully punching him in the arm in retaliation to him carrying her in his arms.

"I am your husband now; I have a right to be interested."

"But not to be completely creepy," She corrected with a wide grin. "Why else do you think I am not having any of your kids? I fear your creepy nature might be genetic."

"You would be so lucky to have children with my _fabulous _genes," He challenged with a vain smirk, his ashen wings spreading from his back as he posed before her. "You cannot deny that I am one sexy monster."

"Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, Maboroshidou." Mei muttered, chuckling lightly as she shook her head at his foolish behaviour.

"Okay, Mei, let's be serious now," Haine replied, folding his hands behind his back as his expression became grave, his voice lowering. "I have done a lot for you, I even took your last name, although I am pretty happy with still being called Haine, please do _not _let anyone else call me Maboroshidou _or _Xiantha."

"Do not worry; I will not let you soil my last name." She taunted before Haine rolled his eyes and continued.

"Anyway, I did want to ask you something," He unfolded his hands from behind his back, nervously smoothing out his top. "In all seriousness, are we going to have children? It is something I honestly want and I know you seem to agree, but sometimes I worry otherwise."

"I am so glad you brought this up now," Mei replied in a tone of false affection, taking Haine's hands with her own and gazing up at him. "Because I just found out this morning that I am pregnant."

"You are _what_?" Haine shrieked, startling the slumbering birds out of the trees about the house, his eyes the size of dinner plates in shock, his heart racing so fast that Mei feared he might pass out on the spot.

As Haine struggled to blurt out a single syllable of a word, Mei burst into snorts of laughter, unable to contain her amusement any longer. She clung to the banister, preventing her from buckling over with laughter as she slowly contained herself, glancing up at Haine's irritated expression.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but that was so priceless," She grinned impishly, flicking a tear of laughter away from her ashen eyes. "I _never _imagined it would shock you that much, I thought you were going to faint."

"Oh you are just hilarious, Mei." He muttered, wrapping her in his arms and holding her figure to his.

She lifted herself onto the tips of her toes, pressing her lips to his whilst sliding her arms around his neck for support. As they parted, her fingers laced through his locks of hair whilst they panted for air before diving back into their lip lock.

"Wait," Mei murmured, their lips mere millimetres apart. "We _will _have children someday, I promise."

"Really?" He enquired, arching his eyebrows at her, suspicious after what she had just pulled.

"Of course," She replied after pecking him on the lips in reassurance. "If you reacted that way when I was kidding, imagine what it will be like when I am serious. I cannot wait."

"Neither can I."


End file.
